Murshidabad (West Bengal):

West Bengal Congress president Adil Ranjan Chaudhry on Monday challenged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to contest from the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming polls and defeat him.

He went a step further and encouraged her and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee to contest from Berhampore, adding that the defeat of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate would mean the chief minister’s defeat .

Mr Chaudhry said: “I challenge Mamata Banerjee to enter the electoral battle in Berhampur and defeat me.

Alternatively, if she chooses not to contest, she should nominate Abhishek Banerjee or declare that if the Congress candidate wins, it will mean the defeat of the TMC supremo. She could use all her resources to win, but I could only rely on the support of the people. Let’s see who wins. “

Prior to this, the Trinamool Congress fielded former cricketer Yusuf Pathan from the Behrampore seat. Mr Chaudhry has been the MP from Behrampore, whose population is predominantly Muslim, since 1999.

Mr Chaudhry also claimed that Mamata Banerjee would never speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, earlier on Sunday, the TMC announced its candidacy in all 42 seats in West Bengal, a move that widened divisions within the Indian bloc ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“Didi is clear that she will not compete directly with PM Modi and the BJP. She will never do anything to embarrass the Indian Prime Minister. If the Indian bloc collapses, then PM Modi will be the happiest person, Didi Dee would never do anything against him. When the Prime Minister came to Raj Bhavan, Mamata Banerjee went to meet him,” he claimed.

He further claimed that what happened in Sandeshkari was just the tip of the iceberg and claimed that the area was off-limits to prevent the truth from emerging.

The Congress leader also claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s main objective is to defeat Adil Chaudhry at any cost, even if it means a victory for the BJP.

“Adil Chaudhry must be defeated at any cost. If the BJP wins, there will be no problem with Mamata Banerjee and that is why Yusuf Pathan has been nominated from here,” he said.

In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 22 seats while the BJP unexpectedly won 18 seats. The Congress won the remaining two seats.

In 2019, the National Democratic Party (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party won a total of 303 seats, leaving behind the established party’s 52 seats.
The Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held in April-May this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)