West Bengal Elections 2021: In West Bengal, the electoral fight seems to be getting fierce by the day with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s new face Suvendu Adhikari emerging as a tough opponent to chief minister and Trinamool Congress Party chief Mamata Banerjee. In an exclusive interview with ABP Ananda, Adhikari came out strongly against the chief minster saying it’s necessary to free the state from the cluthches of the present system otherwise the state will be destroyed. Also Read: India Leads Vaccine Distribution; Maldives, Nepal Among 6 Nations To Get First Tranche Today
The former minister of the state and former MLA of Nandigram has been attacking his former party since he left the Trinamool and joined the BJP. However, this is the first time he has left the stage and sat on the stage of an interview. Sitting in ABP Anand's studio, he responded to multiple allegations against him, as well as launching one counter-attack after another.
"It's time to dump her and move on. Rajiv Gandhi has brought her up. She has been flourished in the Congress, but betrayed the party and started her own party in the state. She divided the landscape of Congress," added the leader. Shuvendu Adhikari also complained that his phone was tapped from the time he was in the team. "We were ministers, we were MPs, our phones were tapped, there were attempts to control the movement," he said.
TheTMC defector, who is committed to defeating Mamata on his turf, has criticised the TMC on several fronts. The leader has lashed out at the poor initiatives in the state under the garb of election proganda and revealed the corruption inside the party.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently announced that she will contest from Nandigram in the assembly elections to be held from May. Chief Minister Banerjee also said that she can contest from two constituencies including Bhawanipur in Kolkata.
Mamata had said she will not do injustice to Bhawanipur, the constituency in Kolkata where she contested from in 2016 , to which Adhikari said he has "no problem in contesting from Bhawanipur as well."
On the context of Nandigram movement, the BJP leader said 'Nandigram is my movement, I never said that, I said Nandigram is a people's movement. Trinamool leaders are now saying, Nandigram Mamata's movement, here is my objection, why so much amity? '
On asked about him losing the elections earlier, the Adhikari said he was never projected for the leadership role and his role was only limited to crises management. Adhikari also said he is determined to fulfil all the responsibilities of the BJP given to him with utmost seriousness.
While pointing at Mamat’s nephew TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, the leader said, “I do not believe in personal attacks. When I was in the grassroots, I did not attack anyone by name.” But in the context of 'Tolabaj Vaipo' (Corrupt Nephew), the leaders claims he has the right to make his own claim. The former transport minister made more explosive remarks at ABP Anand's studio on Tuesday.
“We were ministers and MPs in the party. Our phones were tapped by the state police. Now he does it anyway. It is still being taped. This is the situation in West Bengal,” he added. He then asked the Trinamool supremo, 'This fact about her nephew is established but why is she mum on the issue?
Shuvendu Adhikari attacked the state government and the police as well. (Watch Full Interview below)