West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has confirmed his decision to retain the Bhabanipur assembly seat, setting the stage for a by-election in Nandigram. Adhikari, who secured victories in both the Bhabanipur and Nandigram constituencies during the recently concluded state election, formally took his oath as an MLA representing Bhabanipur.
In the election, Chief Minister Adhikari reportedly defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by a margin exceeding 15,000 votes. He also successfully defended the Nandigram seat, overcoming TMC's Pabitra Kar by 9,665 votes.
Addressing reporters, Adhikari affirmed his commitment to Nandigram despite vacating the seat. "Someone else will be elected as MLA from Nandigram (in a bypoll). But I will not let the people there feel my absence during the next five years," he stated. He further pledged, "I will fulfil all development promises I made to the people of Nandigram alongside the rest of the state."
This decision means a fresh electoral contest will soon be held in Nandigram to elect its new representative. Adhikari's formal swearing-in took place alongside five other newly elected legislators: Agnimitra Paul, Dilip Ghosh, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik.
In related news, West Bengal's Chief Election Officer Manoj Agarwal was recently appointed as the state government's chief secretary. The 1990-batch IAS officer had overseen the special intensive revision exercise prior to the assembly polls.