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BJP plans to challenge Bengal results in court
Dilip Ghosh’s comments came a day after TMC leaders filed four separate petitions in the Calcutta high court challenging the poll results in Balarampur, Goghat, Moyna and Bangaon Dakshin seats
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to move court, challenging the election results in some constituencies in West Bengal where the party was defeated by the ruling Trinamool Congress by a narrow margin in the recently concluded assembly polls -- a move that appears to be a response to the TMC actually moving court over results in five constituencies.
“Our legal cell is exploring all options where petitions can be filed. Our lawyers are making preparations,” said Dilip Ghosh, president of the BJP’s unit in West Bengal.
Ghosh’s comments came a day after TMC leaders filed four separate petitions in the Calcutta high court challenging the poll results in Balarampur, Goghat, Moyna and Bangaon Dakshin seats. The TMC had lost to the BJP in all these seats by a narrow margin.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee too filed a petition in the Calcutta high court challenging the results in Nandigram constituency, where she was defeated by 1,956 votes by her protégé-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP.
The BJP hoped to win over 200 seats in the state and unseat the TMC, but while it improved its position dramatically from three seats in 2016 to 77 seats, it lost to the TMC, which won 213 seats. Since then, relationships between the parties have only worsened.
“The chief minister lost from Nandigram. When counting was going on TMC agents were present and after every round, they signed the results. But even after that the TMC moved court. They have the right. In the same way we can also move court. There are certain seats which the BJP lost by a narrow margin. Let the court decide,” Ghosh told reporters on Friday.
“They had set a target of 200 seats and suffered a humiliating defeat. There are apprehensions that they (BJP) may lose by a bigger margin (if elections are again held in those seats),” said Firhad Hakim, state minister and senior TMC leader.
