Bengal Chief Minister says he will continue development work in Nandigram despite stepping down as MLA from the constituency.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced that he will retain the Bhabanipur Assembly seat and vacate Nandigram after winning both constituencies in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Adhikari took oath in the Assembly as the MLA from Bhabanipur earlier in the day. Speaking to reporters later, he said a bypoll would now be held in Nandigram to elect a new representative.
“Someone else will be elected as MLA from Nandigram in the bypoll. But I will not let the people there feel my absence during the next five years,” Adhikari said.
He added that he would continue to fulfil all development commitments made to the people of Nandigram alongside the rest of West Bengal.
Recalling his earlier political association with the constituency, Adhikari referred to the period between 2009 and 2016 when Phiroja Bibi represented Nandigram as a Trinamool Congress MLA while he remained a key leader in Mamata Banerjee’s party.
“I had extended full support to Phiroja Bibi, the mother of a martyr in the 2008 Nandigram police firing, even though I was not officially the MLA from the seat. I will continue to play a similar role this time as well,” he said.
In the Assembly elections, Adhikari defeated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in her Bhabanipur stronghold by a margin of 15,105 votes. He also retained Nandigram by defeating TMC candidate Pabitra Kar by 9,665 votes.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent call for austerity measures and reduced fuel consumption amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, Adhikari said he has already instructed officials to cut down the number of vehicles in his convoy.
“The Prime Minister is our guide and mentor. We will follow the path shown by him. Swachh Bharat was one such nationalist call given by him. Reducing unnecessary convoy vehicles is also a good step,” he said.
Adhikari added that he has directed the state Director General of Police to ensure that only essential security vehicles remain part of the Chief Minister’s cavalcade.
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