77-seat victory in Bengal a long jump, next poll will bring complete win: Nadda

JITENDRA TIWARI, a Trinamul Congress legislator from Pandabeshwar and also the Asansol mayor earlier, had defected to the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections in West Bengal

BJP candidate from Pandabeshwar Jitendra Tiwari on Tuesday filed an election petition at the Calcutta high court challenging his defeat to Narendranath Chakraborty of the TMC by a margin over 3,500 votes in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

This is the first time a BJP candidate has moved legally to counter similar steps by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and four other TMC candidates for their defeat in close margins in the seats they had contested.

Recently state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh informed of his party’s decision to move the HC in those seats where it’s candidates lost narrowly.

Mr Tiwari, who was a TMC MLA from Pandabeshwar and was also the Asansol mayor earlier, defected to the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls and got a ticket also.

He, however, lost to the TMC candidate by 3,803 votes.

Alleging foul play in the counting of votes on May 2, he sought a recounting in his election petition which was, however, filed well beyond the deadline of 45 days from the date of announcement of poll results.

His lawyer, Samson Correa, however, pointed out that there have been instances of moving such a plea at the Supreme Court beyond deadline.

“We will appeal to the high court for hearing our prayer in view of the Covid-19 pandemic situation,” he said.