'Suvendu Defeated Mamata Once, Now Someone Else Will': Dilip Ghosh On Bhabanipur By-Polls

“The candidate’s announcement will be made by the Parliamentary Committee... Suvendu Adhikari has defeated Mamata Banerjee once, now someone else should be given chance,” he added.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh. (Image: ANI)

Kolkata: Taking a jibe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her loss at the hands of protégé-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram Assembly constituency, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said someone else should now be given the chance to defeat the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo in the Bhabanipur by-election.

Ghosh said the BJP is to contest the Bhabanipur seat and will fight to win.

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“The candidate’s announcement will be made by the Parliamentary Committee... Suvendu Adhikari has defeated Mamata Banerjee once, now someone else should be given chance,” he added.

Ghosh said the BJP held discussions over candidates' names for the upcoming by-poll on the Bhabanipur seat and deferred adjourned polls in two assembly seats.

“After by-polls declaration, the way this government is acting is not right, we will raise this issue before the Election Commission today,” he added.

Earlier on Sunday, the TMC officially announced Banerjee as its candidate for the Bhabanipur by-election.

Banerjee has to win this by-poll to retain her post.

TMC’s Sovandeb Chattopadhyay stepped down as the MLA of Bhabanipur, giving his party supremo an opportunity to become a member of the state assembly by contesting the by-poll.

Banerjee has to become a member of the state legislature by November 5.

The by-poll will be held on September 30 along with the elections to two seats Samserganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district where polling could not be held during the eight-phase assembly polls earlier this year.

The counting of votes will take place on October 3.

The West Bengal BJP chief also lashed out at the TMC government over the case against Adhikari.

“There was no case against Suvendu babu when he was in TMC. After he joined BJP, a proceeding has been initiated...It seems a conspiracy is being hatched to get him arrested, which is why I feel the court has ordered interim protection for him,” he said, ANI reported.

Earlier in the day, the TMC government moved the Calcutta High Court challenging its interim relief to Adhikari from arrest in the 2018 bodyguard death case.

The Calcutta High Court had on Monday granted relief to Adhikari, saying there can be no coercive action against him and he cannot be arrested in existing or future cases without its nod.

The High Court also stayed investigation in three of five cases filed against Adhikari after he quit the TMC in December 2020 to join the BJP.

Earlier on Sunday, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) had summoned Adhikari for questioning in connection with a case related to the probe into the unnatural death of his personal security guard Subhabrata Chakraborty, who shot himself with his service revolver at a police barrack in 2018.

The West Bengal BJP chief also commented on the case against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee Abhishek Banerjee.

“Guilty or not will be decided by the court, process has just started...It happens everywhere. So many prominent leaders have faced ED probe & came out clean. What's there to be scared of?” said Ghosh.

Abhishek Banerjee is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal pilferage scam in West Bengal.

The Enforcement Directorate officials had earlier on Monday recorded his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Delhi.