On Monday, March 22, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, accusing that Bharatiya Janata Party’s Suvendu Adhikari is ‘cultivating criminals’ in Nandigram, just days before the state’s high-stakes Assembly elections begin.
“It has come to our attention that Suvendu Adhikari, the candidate fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Nandigram AC-210, has been harboring criminals who are non-residents of Nandigram,” read O’ Brien’s letter to the election commission, listing four locations.
According to the letter, the addresses are as follows: the home of one Kalipada Shee; the home of one Meghnath Pal, Haripur; the home of one Pabtra Kar, Boyal-1; and the home of Bhojohari one Samanta, Boyal MSK Area.
“Local police have been informed of this, but no steps have been taken yet,” the TMC leader said, urging the poll body to “immediately intervene and direct necessary steps to be taken by police to forthwith apprehend all the outside anti-social elements hired and harbored by Suvendu Adhikari.”
In Nandigram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will face off against Suvendu Adhikari in the election’s most closely watched battle.
Adhikari was a minister in the TMC government until recently. He switched sides ahead of the elections and joined the BJP, which has emerged as a formidable opponent to Mamata’s TMC.
West Bengal elections will be held in eight stages beginning on March 27, with results expected on May 2.
In West Bengal, the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are at odds. In recent months, the BJP’s top leadership has held public meetings and roadshows throughout the state.
Beginning March 27, the state will hold eight-phased Assembly elections. The tenure of West Bengal’s 16th Legislative Assembly will expire on May 30 of this year. A total of 7,34,07,832 electors will select their representative for West Bengal’s 17th Legislative Assembly.
