Mamata claims Nandigram returning officer was 'threatened' against recounting of votes, says will move court
Kolkata, West Bengal: After her defeat in Nandigram, Incumbent West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Returning Officer of the Assembly seat had said that he was threatened against recounting of votes. Briefing the mediapersons, Mamata said, "I received an SMS from someone wherein Returning Officer of Nandigram has written to someone if he allows recounting then his life would be under threat. For four hours the server was down. Governor also congratulated me. Suddenly everything changed. I will move court."
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal seeking "immediate re-counting of votes and postal ballots" in Nandigram constituency. A three-member TMC delegation met the CEO at the Election Commission Office in Kolkata regarding the matter. "Certain preposterous and illegal incidents have happened today while the counting of votes was taking place in Nandigram AC 210. The candidate Mamata Banerjee had sought for recounting of votes before the Returning Officer, Nandigram AC, but such recounting has been refused for reasons unknown. Such refusal is bad in law and coloured. We demand an immediate recounting of Nandigram AC 210 to preserve the sanctity of the electoral process," the TMC had said in a letter to the CEO. Asked about the report of the post-poll attack at BJP offices, she said, "They (BJP) are posting photographs of old riots, it is their habit. I do not like any violence.
Why BJP is doing that? Even after winning with a thumping majority, we did not do any kind of celebration." She further urged to people to maintain peace and not indulge in any violence, and fight against COVID-19. "I appeal to everyone to maintain peace and not indulge in any violence. We know BJP and Central Forces have tortured us a lot but we have to maintain peace. At present, we have fight COVID-19." Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee from the Nandigram constituency. Adhikari, who was once a close aide of Banerjee, joined the BJP just a few months ahead of the state assembly elections.
As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), Adhikari won with a margin of 1,956 votes in Nandigram. Meanwhile, Mamata had claimed that she has information that some manipulations were done after the declaration of results for the Nandigram seat. Earlier on Sunday, there were reports of Mamata Banerjee winning from the Nandigram constituency. Making the game of thrones in Bengal more interesting, Mamata Banerjee chose Nandigram over her home turf Bhabanipur seat this time to test her fate in the 2021 elections. It was the agitation in Nandigram and Singur against the Left government's land acquisition policies that made Mamata Banerjee the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Nandigram witnessed a high voltage "Khela" (game of power) on April 1 in the second phase of West Bengal assembly polls. The constituency had seen a direct contest between Banerjee and her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari. Notably, Adhikari had pledged that he would quit politics if he did not defeat Mamata by 50,000 votes in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee-led TMC won 213 seats in the just concluded West Bengal assembly elections. The BJP garnered 77 seats in the 294-seat state assembly. However, elections for two seats in Murshidabad are postponed due to the demise of candidates due to COVID.
