BJP's Suvendu Adhikari Claims Trinamool May Try To Rig 2023 Panchayat Polls

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has called upon BJP workers to resist possible attempts by the ruling Trinamool Congress to capture booths and rig next year's panchayat elections in the state.

He also claimed that the minority community is upset with the Trinamool and has not forgotten the Birbhum killings, and this will reflect in the rural elections.

The BJP MLA from Nandigram, while addressing a meeting to mark one year of his victory against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the constituency in the 2021 assembly elections, alleged that the Trinamool had unleashed violence in the seat after poll results were declared on May 2 last year, but asserted that people of Nandigram won't be intimidated by such "terror tactics".

"Our party offices were ransacked, several of our activists killed, and houses looted and burnt down by Trinamool goons after the election results but the people of Nandigram fought back and many of these attackers are now on the run due to intervention of the court and NHRC. The vengeful Trinamool administration tried to implicate us in false cases but did not succeed," Suvendu Adhikari said.

He cautioned the Trinamool against "daring to repeat terror tactics and rigging" in next year's panchayat polls.

"I am telling you (Trinamool) if you dare loot votes, there will be resistance in Nandigram and elsewhere. If the polls are rigged, we will not allow the boxes (EVMs) to be taken away from the booths," he said.

Mr Adhikari claimed that the minority community is upset with the Trinamool "as they have realised that the Mamata Banerjee government has only used them in the politics of appeasement and did not really work for their benefit."

"Mark my words, the minority brothers of Nandigram are upset with the misdeeds of local Trinamool leaders. They have not forgotten the Bogtui incident. The entire state is on the boil. This will be reflected in the panchayat polls," he said.

Mr Adhikari said that a series of political programmes will be undertaken in the run up to the panchayat elections. The statue of BJP activist Debabrata Maity, who was killed in post-poll violence in Nandigram, would be unveiled on May 13.

"We will also give deputations to several gram panchayats in protest against alleged graft in MGNREGA work and other corrupt practices," he added.

Responding to Mr Adhikari's statement, Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "He knows BJP has been rejected by the people of the state. In the coming days, people of Nandigram will teach Suvendu (Adhikari) a lesson. He had joined the BJP to save himself from the central agencies. People of Nandigram knows he is an opportunist."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)