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 after athorough discussion and not in an arbitrary way like in theruling TMC.

Banerjee sprang a surprise earlier in the day when shedeclared that she will contest the assembly elections 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 work this time and her party will bedemocratically dumped into the Bay of Bengal.'' Adhikari claimed not more than 30,000 people, mostlybrought from other places, attended Banerjee's meeting atTekhali in Nandigram on Monday.

Contending that Banerjee lacked sympathy for thepeople of Nandigram, the TMC turncoat said, ''While the anti-farmland acquisition movement in Singur has been included inschool text books, martyrs of Nandigram and Khejuri find nomention in them.'' Adhikari accused the TMC of stealing funds allottedfor Cyclone Amphan victims, and pilfering food grains meantfor distribution among the underprivileged.

He also claimed that COVID-19 vaccines have beenappropriated by TMC leaders.

He was referring to allegations that several TMCleaders were taking COVID-19 vaccines in the first phase,flouting norms set by the central government, with BJP leaderKailash Vijayvargiya describing the government as 'vaccinechor (thief)' on Sunday.

Exhorting BJP youth wing members to respond to thealleged attack by TMC supporters at a roadshow, he said, ''Atthree places, they (TMC) carried on cowardly attacks on ourprogramme, which had police permission. But our yuva morchamen chased them into nearby alleys. In future, in the face ofsuch provocation, we will peacefully retaliate.'' Alleging police inaction during these attacks, he saidthat a section of officers have become 'dalals' (agents of theruling party) of 'kalighat' (where Mamata Banerjees residenceis located).

Describing the TMC as a party led by ''one and halfleaders'', Adhikari said ''pishi- bhaipo (Mamata Banerjee andnephew Abhishek) call the shots in the ruling party, whileother leaders barely get to say anything.'' PTI SUS SKRMS RMS