BJP fields slain Adhikari aide’s mother in Nandigram

The BJP has stepped up its political campaign in West Bengal, fielding Hasirani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, former aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, from the high-profile Nandigram Assembly constituency. Chandranath served as Adhikari’s personal assistant and was killed days after the BJP won the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The party has also nominated Sakharav Sarkar, former president of its Murshidabad district unit, from the Rejinagar Assembly constituency for the upcoming byelections.

The BJP’s Central Election Committee approved the two names for the bypolls, with the party seeking to consolidate its position in the state through a campaign that is likely to carry both political and emotional significance.

On Tuesday, Adhikari accompanied BJP workers as they headed for the filing of Hasirani’s nomination papers in Haldia. He congratulated both candidates and expressed confidence

that voters in both constituencies would continue to repose their faith in the BJP and ensure the victory of its candidates by a decisive margin.

The Nandigram seat fell vacant after Adhikari chose to retain the Bhabanipur constituency, where he defeated Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by more than 15,000 votes.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has nominated Sanchita Pradhan Dey as its candidate for the Nandigram seat and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury for Rejinagar. Meanwhile, the rebel TMC faction has fielded Ehteshamul Haq from Nandigram and Safiuzzaman Sheikh from Rejinagar. The Congress has fielded Mohammed Abdullahil Kafi from Rejinagar and Milan Pradhan from Nandigram.

The Election Commission had announced byelections to five Assembly constituencies across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal and one Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. These seats will go to polling on October 6, and votes will be counted on October 9.