Adhikari accepts Mamata's dare, says will defeat her in Nandigram or quit politics

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari onMonday accepted the challenge thrown by West Bengal ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee to contest from his Nandigramassembly seat, asserting he will defeat her in the election orquit politics.

The TMC turncoat, however, said the final decision tofield candidates will be taken by the BJP leadership afterthorough discussion and not in an arbitrary way like in theruling TMC.

Banerjee sprang a surprise earlier in the day when shedeclared she will contest the assembly election fromNandigram, the seat held by political heavyweight Adhikari.

''If I am fielded by my party from Nandigram, I willdefeat her by a margin of at least 50,000 votes or I will quitpolitics,'' he asserted.

Adhikari, however, said unlike the TMC, which is run''autocratically'' by Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek, in BJPthe candidates are decided after discussion and it was for theparty to take a call on his candidature.

''I don't know from where I will be fielded, whether Iwill be fielded,'' he said, addressing BJP workers after athree-km road show.

He said Banerjee remembers Nandigram only beforeelections, and accused her of giving extension four times toan IPS officer involved in the Nandigram firing.

Banerjee, Adhikari alleged, was playing with thesentiments of the people of Nandigram. ''That will not workthis time and her party will be democratically dumped into theBay of Bengal.'' Adhikari claimed not more than 30,000 people, mostlybrought from other places, attended Banerjee's meeting atTekhali in Nandigram on Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)