BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her home turf of Bhabanipur and secured Nandigram for three times in a row in the recently held assembly polls, on
Wednesday said that he will vacate one of the two assembly seats within 10 days, adding that the final decision will be taken by the party leadership.
“I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram,” he said as quoted by news agency PTI.
While addressing party workers and supporters in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district on Wednesday, the BJP leader urged party workers to maintain peace and avoid immediate victory celebrations.
“Celebrate after May 9 with proper permission,” he said, stressing discipline following the election results.
Adhikari defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes, puncturing what was long seen as her safest political refuge and delivering a decisive psychological blow to the TMC, amid a sweeping BJP surge across West Bengal.
He also thanked voters for their support and reiterated his commitment to development in Nandigram, promising improvements in drinking water supply, healthcare, and education infrastructure.
Referring to alleged attacks on BJP workers during the TMC regime, Adhikari said he would not forget the “atrocities” faced by them and assured them of taking appropriate action against perpetrators through legal processes.
“I was part of the 2011 ‘poribartan’ (change), and now I am part of the real change. I offer my gratitude to the people of Nandigram,” Adhikari said.
He was referring to the TMC’s victory in 2011 when the Mamata Banerjee party dismantled the 34-year Left Front regime in the state.
The swearing-in ceremony of West Bengal’s new Chief Minister will be held at Brigade Parade Ground on May 9 at 10 am, the BJP has announced.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya confirmed the date and venue, saying the party is ready to form its first government in the state. He added that a meeting of the BJP Legislative Party will take place on May 7 to finalise leadership decisions ahead of the ceremony.
In a sweeping electoral mandate, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a decisive victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats- well past the two-thirds majority mark- and bringing an end to Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) 15-year rule.
The majority mark in the 294-member House is 148. The result signals a decisive shift in the state’s political direction and ideological balance.
For the first time in decades, West Bengal is poised to be governed by the same party that holds power at the Centre.
(With inputs from agencies)
