Suvendu Adhikari wishes to contest on a BJP ticket from Nandigram

NEW DELHI: Former close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikari, has expressed his desire to contest on a BJP ticket from the Nandigram Assembly constituency in the upcoming state polls. Banerjee had earlier announced that she will contest from Nandigram, from where Adhikari had won the last Assembly polls.

In December last year, rebel Trinamool leader Adhikari had joined the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in Midnapore.

A marathon meeting lasting over five hours was held at the residence of BJP chief J.P. Nadda here on Thursday to shortlist the names of probable candidates for 60 Assembly constituencies that will go to the polls in the first two phases on March 27 and April 1.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and core committee members of BJP's West Bengal unit were present in the meeting. BJP national Vice President Mukul Roy, state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, Adhikari and other senior leaders were present in the meeting. After the meeting, former West Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee, who recently joined the BJP, said that Adhikari has informed the party leadership about his desire to contest from Nandigram.

"Adhikari has said that he wishes to contest from Nandigram. Now the party leadership will take a final call on this," Banerjee said.

He further stated that 60 seats where polling will be held in the first two phases were discussed in the meeting. "The probable candidates for 60 constituencies were discussed. The shortlisted names will be placed before the party's Central Election Committee for finalisation," Banerjee said.

Banerjee also expressed his desire to contest from his current Assembly constituency in Domjur. "My constituency was not discussed as polling will be held there in the fourth phase. I would like to contest from my old constituency," he said.

BJP national Secretary and state co-incharge, Arvind Menon, said, "We discussed our strategy to win the Assembly polls in West Bengal." (IANS)

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