BENGAL BJP WILL NOT CONTEST RS BYPOLL: ADHIKARI

KOLKATA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal on Monday decided not to contest the Rajya Sabha bypoll on October 4, a development that will pave the way for election of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) nominee unopposed.

Last week, the TMC named Sushmita Dev, who recently joined the party after quitting the Congress, as its candidate for the bypoll. The bypoll was necessitated after TMC leader Manas Bhunia vacated the Rajya Sabha seat following his victory in the assembly election from Sabang in West Midnapore district.

“BJP will not nominate any candidate for Rajya Sabha bypoll due in West Bengal. Outcome is predetermined. Our focus is to make sure unelected CM to be unelected once again. Jai Ma Kali,” Suvendu Adhikari, leader of opposition in Bengal assembly, said in a Twitter post.

Adhikari, who defeated chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram during the April assembly elections, was referring to her contesting bypoll from Bhabanipur seat in Kolkata. Banerjee has to win the bypoll to become a member of the assembly in order to continue in the chair. Reacting to the BJP’s decision, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “At least 24 BJP legislators are opposing the leader of the opposition (in the state legislative assembly). The party would get less votes than what they have calculated... That’s why they are not naming any candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll . ... ”