The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday, 17 March, appealed to the Election Commission in a bid to cancel Suvendu Adhikari's nomination from Nandigram, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had provided incorrect details of his residence.
In a letter signed by senior member Derek O’Brien, the party noted that Adhikari “has not resided in Nandanayakbar village of Nandigram over the past six months let alone being a permanent resident,” adding that only an “ordinary resident” can be registered as a voter of any constituency.
Additionally, Mamta’s Banerjee’s party noted that the former TMC leader holds a voter ID in Haldia.
According to TMC’s letter, Adhikari had filed for a transfer from the electoral lists of Haldia to Nandigram employing "false" details of residence. However, he is "not entitled to a migration and his migration is bad in law”.
Since one person cannot be on the voter lists of two constituencies, his nomination papers to contest the Bengal polls from Nandigram will be consequently struck down, the letter added.
Suvendu Accuses Mamata of ‘Suppression of Facts'
This development comes following Suvendu Adhikari’s demand on Monday, which sought Banerjee's nomination papers to be cancelled.
He accused her of “suppression of facts”, saying that the CM’s nomination papers were illegal as she had failed to declare six criminal cases against her correctly.
He said, "In her nomination, Trinamool Congress candidate Mamata Banerjee has not given information about five cases filed against her in various police stations in Assam, including Geeta Nagar and Pan Bazaar in 2018. All the cases against her have been filed for her inflammatory speech over the NRC.”
Former associates Suvendu Adhikari and CM Mamata Banerjee are contesting for the high-stakes Nandigram seat. Adhikari had defected to the BJP in December 2020.
West Bengal will go to polls in a mammoth eight phases, beginning on 27 March.
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