Suvendu Adhikari; Jahangir Khan
NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday warned Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) “so-called Pushpa” Jahangir Khan ahead of repolling in the Falta assembly constituency, scheduled for May 21.“He (Khan) is a designated most notorious criminal and I will personally handle his case. So-called Pushpa is my responsibility now,” PTI Adhikari quoted Adhikari as saying.He was addressing a BJP workers’ rally in Falta, which comes under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat, held by TMC number two Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of now-former CM Mamata Banerjee.“The Falta repolls will re-establish voter rights where people have not been able to vote for 10 years ever since the nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) arrived on its political scene. That scenario has now changed. I urge the voters of Falta to elect the BJP candidate by a margin of over one lakh votes,” Adhikari added.In the run-up to the assembly elections, Khan, a Trinamool strongman and the party’s Falta candidate, had described himself as “Pushpa” — the smuggler-turned-strongman character played by Allu Arjun in the two “Pushpa” films.That remark was in response to UP-cadre IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma, who was appointed by the Election Commission as a police observer in West Bengal, being likened to “Singham” — the police officer character portrayed by Ajay Devgn in the “Singham” film series.In a viral video, Sharma was seen warning Khan’s family, prompting the TMC candidate’s response.“Tell him, we’ll deal properly with him if his men continue to threaten…don’t cry or regret it then,” Sharma said in the video.The Election Commission ordered fresh polling in Falta after the button next to the BJP’s symbol on electronic voting machines was found taped at several polling booths. Counting of votes will take place on May 24.In the West Bengal assembly elections, held on April 23 and 29, the BJP ousted the TMC, ending the Mamata Banerjee-led party’s 15-year rule and forming its first government in the state. The elections witnessed a turnout of over 90% in both phases.Adhikari, a former Trinamool leader, won from both his bastion Nandigram and Banerjee’s Bhabanipur stronghold, marking a repeat of their 2021 Nandigram contest, in which he had narrowly prevailed. He has since vacated the Nandigram seat and retained Bhabanipur.
Do you think the fresh polling in Falta will restore voter rights effectively?
