Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her Bhabanipur seat while retaining Nandigram, on Wednesday said every TMC goon will be held accountable under BJP government for their atrocities. "The governor will decide on Mamata Banerjee's resignation, she has lost political relevance in Bengal. Every TMC goon will be held accountable under BJP government for their atrocities," he said.
I am not supporting any violence: Suvendu
On incidents of post-poll violence in the state and TMC's allegations, Suvendu Adhikari said, "Tell me where all it is happening, tell me the number of area, the Police Station area, Assembly, district - the outgoing LoP is ready to answer all questions...100 FIRs have not been lodged. DGP told me 50-60 complaints were received; they were small complaints...In 2021, BJP had built 355 safehouses. 1,10,000 people were forced to leave their houses. The then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar went to Assam with a chopper. In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the then CM Sarbananda Sonowal provided food and shelter to people. 61 FIRs were lodged by CBI, they were about rape and attempt to rape. 12,500 FIRs were there...There has not been much violence. I am not defending any violence, I am not supporting any violence. But don't compare with TMC. BJP doesn't need to do this. It got 46% votes, in the coming elections it will rise up to 60% votes."
Standing in Nandigram, which he often describes as his political "bhadrasan" (citadel), Adhikari struck a careful balance between sentiment and party discipline, signalling both his emotional attachment to the constituency in Purba Medinipur district and the political significance of his victory in Kolkata's Bhabanipur.
I will vacate one seat within 10 days: Suvendu
"I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. Whatever my personal opinion may be, I will convey that to the leadership. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram," he told supporters.
The statement came amid intense speculation over whether Adhikari would retain Nandigram, the epicentre of the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement that transformed him into a mass leader, or hold on to Bhabanipur, where he handed Banerjee a stunning defeat in what had long been considered her safest political pocket borough.
Two victories carry sharply different political meanings for Suvendu
The two victories carry sharply different political meanings for Adhikari. Nandigram's anti-land acquisition movement against the then Left Front government eventually paved the way for the TMC's rise to power in 2011.
At that time, Adhikari was among Mamata Banerjee's closest political lieutenants and key organisers on the ground, handling mobilisation in Nandigram and adjoining areas while Banerjee spearheaded the movement at the state level.
The movement not only dismantled the Left Front's 34-year rule but also transformed Adhikari from a regional organiser into one of the most influential political figures in coastal Bengal. It was from the larger Tamluk region, of which Nandigram is a part, that Adhikari first entered Parliament. In 2021, months after joining the BJP, he had defeated Banerjee from Nandigram in a fiercely fought contest that dramatically altered Bengal's political equations.
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