Kolkata: The row over Assembly election results at Nandigram got a fresh twist in the tale with Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Rajib Banerjee dropping a bombshell on Saturday claiming that BJP candidate from Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari had called him on the counting day and had informed that he had been defeated in the elections.
Banerjee was with the saffron party during the elections and was inducted into the TMC in October last year. Banerjee's statement was also supported by Jay Prakash Majumdar who joined TMC on March 8.
"He (Suvendu Adhikari) repeatedly talks of the polls in Nandigram. I was with the BJP during that time when the election results were out. There are questions over transparent voting there. Even the people of Bengal are not convinced about the transparency of voting in Nandigram. On the day of the election results, May 2, last year, he (Suvendu Adhikari) called me up in the late afternoon and said that he had lost. I do not know by what magic did he win the elections later? " Banerjee said at a press conference on Saturday with TMC's state general-secretary Kunal Ghosh by his side.
He demanded that there should be recounting at Nandigram so that the truth is unveiled.
Jay Prakash Majumdar who was suspended by the BJP for alleged anti-party activities and joined TMC recently said that he was told that Suvendu had lost the polls at 5 pm and later in the evening it was declared that he had won. "I chaired a press conference at 5 pm on behalf of the BJP on that day and declared that TMC nominee Mamata Banerjee had won in Nandigram. However, sometime later in the late evening, I learnt that the results had been the opposite. When I had asked Suvendu how he had won after losing, he sported a mysterious smile and said a lot of things had been done," Majumdar, now the vice-president of TMC said.
Interestingly, TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee had alleged at the state Assembly on Wednesday that there was understanding at Nandigram for defeating her. Banerjee, however, did not name any person or political party who had made such an 'understanding'.
"Those who entered into a conspiracy during that time should now seek apology from the people of Bengal," she had said.
Mamata Banerjee had contested from Nandigram in the Assembly polls where she was pitted against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
In the late afternoon, the news was circulated in the media that Banerjee had won the elections by 1200 votes. However, sometime later the Election Commission declared that Adhikari had won by 1956 votes.
Trinamool Congress had moved the court challenging the results and the matter is still pending. Banerjee later won from the Bhowanipore seat in October last year and took over as the Chief Minister for the third time.
Rajib Banerjee had shifted to BJP ahead of the Assembly elections in Bengal but was defeated from the Domjur constituency in Howrah by a margin of over 40,000 votes by TMC nominee Kalyan Ghosh. Since then, he had distanced himself from the saffron party and rejoined TMC. He is presently TMC's observer in Tripura.