Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee lost the Nandigram constituency to her former trusted lieutenant and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Suvendu Adhikari by just 1,956 votes – after over 12 hours of counting on Sunday, 2 May.
"I accept the verdict in Nandigram. It is not a big deal. Don't worry," said the chief minister, however saying that she would approach the court over “suspected malpractice”.
While initial reports claimed Banerjee won the prestige battle, conflicting reports said that Adhikari has actually won the poll.
“I accept people’s verdict in Nandigram. I will not have to go there regularly now, I am saved that way. But I will move court if necessary because I suspect certain malpractices have taken place.”Mamata Banerjee, TMC Chief
While the EC rejected TMC’s appeal for recounting of votes in Nandigram, senior TMC leader Derek O'Brien told NDTV, “Something is fishy about Nandigram, don't you think? A party wins nearly three-fourths of all seats in the state and the Chief Minister loses her seat — something very fishy went on in Nandigram.”
Nandigram is also the seat that first catapulted Banerjee to power in 2011.
Banerjee, the sitting chief minister of the state, is all set to return to power in West Bengal, as per latest Election Commission trends.
Catch all live updates on West Bengal polls here.
‘Never-Ending Commitment to Nandigram’: Adhikari
Adhikari's jump to the BJP had led to a flood of top-level aides leaving the TMC, ahead of the Assembly polls. The MLA had won Nandigram on a TMC ticket in 2016.
“My sincere thanks to the great People of Nandigram for their love, trust, blessings, and support, and for choosing me as their representative and the MLA from Nandigram. It is my never-ending commitment to be of service to them and working for their welfare. I am truly grateful!”Suvendu Adhikari, BJP Candidate from Nandigram
The high-voltage campaign in the seat saw the 66-year-old Banerjee suffer a leg injury. While her party accused the BJP of orchestrating the attack, Banerjee went about the rest of the campaign on a wheelchair.
(With inputs from NDTV)
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