In an election outcome which surprised many, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Suvendu Adhikari defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram assembly constituency.
He won by a margin of 1956 votes.
The constituency has been keenly watched since the BJP announced Adhikari its candidate.
Banerjee, who has been traditionally contesting from Bhabanipur in Kolkata, shifted to Nandigram for this election.
Adhikari, a close confidant of Banerjee and a former minister in her cabinet, joined the BJP in December last year.
With this defeat, the path to chief ministership is not going to be easy for Banerjee as West Bengal doesn’t have a Legislative Council.
So, to be the chief minister, she would need to contest a by-poll.
A frustrated Banerjee said, “Good that I won’t have to go that far.”
Kolkata to Nandigram is about 140 kms and takes about three hours to reach.
Earlier it was reported that Mamata Banerjee has won by a small margin. But after a few minutes, the Election Commission officially declared that it was Suvendu Adhikari who had defeated Mamata Banerjee.
Adhikari was heckled by the TMC workers in Haldia and also his car was attacked.
