Tit for tat in Nandigram: TMC demands EC to delete Suvendu's electoral roll

In a tit for tat attempt, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer on Wednesday demanding to delete Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari's electoral roll from Nandigram seat claiming the latter had filed false residence details in the nomination for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls.

The AITC's move comes days after the BJP delegation visited the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata on Monday demanding the cancellation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nomination from Nandigram.

"We demanded the Election Commission to cancel the chief minister's nomination as she has six cases against her but her affidavit does not mention them. Earlier, the returning officer overlooked our request," BJP leader Shishir Bajoria had told .

Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari called Banerjee "a liar" alleging she had hidden criminal cases against her while filing a nomination from Nandigram.

"Mamata Banerjee submitted her nomination from Nandigram. I objected against it today. There are six cases that she has not mentioned in her nomination paper. In 2018, five cases were filed in Assam, but she did not mention them. Another case is pending with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). She did not mention that too. Her foundation is based on lies, she is a liar," Adhikari had said while addressing a public meeting in Tamluk.

Nandigram will witness the most high-profile contest of West Bengal elections with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking on her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who had joined BJP in December last year. Adhikari had earlier said that BJP will defeat Banerjee by over 50,000 votes from Nandigram.

The polling in Nandigram will take place on April 1, in the second phase of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are at loggerheads in poll-bound West Bengal. The top leadership of the BJP has been holding public meetings and roadshows across the state in recent months.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

( With inputs from ANI )