Kolkata, 04 August (H.S.): Political speculation has intensified over former Trinamool Congress minister and noted physician Dr Shashi Panja after reports of her alleged meeting with NCPI MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar surfaced. Panja has remained largely away from public view since the election defeat, leading to questions over her current political position.

The reported meeting has triggered speculation about whether Shashi Panja is distancing herself from the Trinamool Congress leadership and considering a shift in political alignment.

Responding to the speculation, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said that Dr Shashi Panja is still associated with the Ghosh Dastidar Institute of Fertility Research. Meanwhile, Kalighat Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh claimed that Panja continues to remain with the Trinamool Congress and that he has no information about any change in her political stand.

The speculation gained further momentum after a Facebook post by Dr Baidyanath Ghosh Dastidar, son of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. In the post, he claimed that his mother had held a meeting at their IVF centre with two former heavyweight ministers and three sitting MPs. However, he did not reveal their names.

This led to questions over whether Shashi Panja was among those leaders. On Monday, she was not found at her Girish Park residence or party office. However, she reportedly visited the Ghosh Dastidar Institute of Fertility Research in Bhawanipur and left the place in the afternoon.

Attempts to contact Shashi Panja’s daughter and former councillor Puja Panja were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls or WhatsApp messages.

Kunal Ghosh said, “After the elections, she had gone outside to stay with her younger daughter. After returning, she is in Kolkata. As far as I know, she is still with the Trinamool Congress. I have not received any information about any change in her position.”

Amid the ongoing political developments, conflicting claims have emerged from different camps. While Kunal Ghosh has claimed that several NCPI MPs are in contact with them, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has claimed that two to three more MPs have expressed their willingness to join their side.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey