Calcutta HC seeks response from BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari over election from Nandigram

The Calcutta High Court on Monday sought written response from BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari by November 29 on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's plea challenging his election to the Assembly from Nandigram constituency. The next hearing is scheduled on December 1. The HC had earlier adjourned the hearing on August 12. 

The WB CM had filed a plea challenging the BJP heavyweight's election result from the Nandigram constituency in the 2021 Assembly elections.

After Mamata's loss to Adhikari, CM had challenged election results

The All India Trinamool Congress Supremo had lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram in the state assembly election held earlier this year, even as she retains the post of West Bengal's Chief Minister. After this, Mamata Banerjee challenged the election results in the court. The High Court on June 18 deferred the hearing in the matter of the West Bengal Chief Minister challenging Nandigram results.

The Chief Minister had accused Adhikari of committing corrupt practices as envisaged under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. When the bench heard the case in mid-July, it directed the Election Commission to preserve all documents, election papers, devices and video recordings connected with the election concerned. Notably, the case was assigned to Justice Kausik Chanda. However, he recused himself from hearing the petition when Chief Minister Banerjee alleged that the bench may be biased against her.

"Kaushik Chanda was associated with the BJP's legal cell before his elevation as a judge," WB CM's lawyers said.

A fine of Rs 5 lakh was imposed on the West Bengal CM for 'the manner' in which she levelled charges against the judge. The case was reassigned to the bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal.

On July 14, 2021, Suvendu Adhikari had moved to the Apex Court seeking transfer of the election petition filed by the West Bengal Chief Minister at the Calcutta High Court challenging his election win from the Nandigram constituency in the assembly polls. On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court subsequently allowed the application moved by BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari seeking a delay on the ground that a transfer petition has been filed by him before the Apex Court and is currently pending adjudication.

The Nandigram Polls

In this year's state polls, Mamata Banerjee had battled BJP's Suvendu Adhikari from the place which won her the CM post in 2011. Dissapointed by the rising influence of the CM's nephew Abhishek Banerjee and poll strategist Prashant Kishor in the party during the election, Adhikari along with several other MLAs had switched to BJP. Banerjee had then announced she will contest polls from Nandigram instead of her bastion Bhabanipur, leading to BJP fielding Adhikari against her. While Nandigram is a Trinamool bastion, it is the Adhikari family which has a major influence in the district. This led to Adhikari's victory over CM Mamata by a margin of 1737 votes. He was then rewarded by BJP with his election as Leader of Opposition.