BJP fields mother of CM Suvendu Adhikari’s slain PA for Nandigram bypoll

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded the mother of West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s slain personal assistant (PA) as its candidate for the October 6 by-poll to the Nandigram assembly seat.

Chandranath Rath, the PA, was shot dead three days before Adhikari took the oath as the chief minister on May 6, after the BJP swept to power in West Bengal for the first time, ending Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s 15-year rule.

In July, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers for allegedly planning Rath’s murder.

A BJP leader said Hasirani Rath has been fielded from Nandigram and Sakharav Sarkar from Rejinagar.

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Adhikari likely to campaign for Hasirani Rath

Adhikari, who vacated the Nandigram seat, is likely to lead a rally before Hasirani Rath files her nomination in Haldia. Adhikari won Nandigram and Kolkata’s Bhabanipur seats. He chose to represent Bhabanipur, where he defeated his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee.

On Monday, the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel TMC faction named two candidates for the by-elections. The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC announced its candidates on Sunday.

Rival TMC factions fight over poll symbol

The rival factions are fighting their first electoral battle amid uncertainty over who the Election Commission of India (ECI) will grant the right to the TMC poll symbol. Banerjee designed the symbol before launching the TMC in 1998.

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The results for the two Bengal by-polls will be announced on October 9. The deadline for filing nominations is September 16, the day both factions have to submit additional documents to the ECI to establish their claim on the symbol. Both factions met chief electoral commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi last week.

BJP won 207 seats in Bengal

The BJP won 207 of West Bengal assembly’s 294 seats in May. The TMC bagged 80. The BJP secured one more seat, Falta, in a re-poll.

On June 3, the assembly speaker recognised 58 rebel TMC legislators as the principal opposition party in the House. Mamata Banerjee approached the Supreme Court, which referred the matter to the ECI.

In April, Humayun Kabir of Aam Janata Unnayan Party won Nowda and Rejinagar seats. He retained Nowda.