'Pushpa my responsibility now': Bengal CM's sharp warning to TMC's Jahangir Khan ahead of Falta repolling

Kolkata:

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday issued a stark warning to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jahangir Khan and described him as a "notorious criminal" ahead of the repolling in the Falta assembly constituency. Adhikari further said he would personally handle the cases related to Khan, who is TMC's candidate from Falta.

The chief minister made the remarks while addressing a public rally in Falta.

"We want a peaceful polling here. We don't want any incident, as our Prime Minister values democracy a lot. The BJP is in 20 states, and we don't believe in post-poll violence... Where is the so-called Pushpa? Where is that notorious criminal (Jahangir Khan)? We can't find him anywhere. FIRs have been registered. There will be no violence here. Where are you, Pushpa?" Adhikari said. 

The repolling in the Falta assembly constituency will take place on May 21. The polling here was held in the second phase on April 29, but a repolling has been ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) following allegations of massive irregularities, including voter intimidation and tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Falta falls in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is considered to be a bastion of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. Adhikari is confident of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory in Falta, though, after the saffron party swept the recently held assembly elections in West Bengal.

Adhikari, who is BJP's first chief minister in West Bengal, has assured people of Falta of peaceful polling, while making a slew of promises for them. He said urged people to ensure that BJP candidate Debangshu Panda wins the repolling by more than one lakh votes. 

"The Falta repolls will re-establish voter rights where people have not been able to vote for 10 years ever since the nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) arrived on its political scene," the chief minister said in his poll rally. "That scenario has now changed. I urge the voters of Falta to elect the BJP candidate by a margin of over one lakh votes."

The results of repolling in Falta will be declared on May 24. 

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