West Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari Pulls Off Big Upset, Defeats Mamata Banerjee In Nandigram By 1,957 Votes

Former state minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has pulled off a big upset in Nandigram as he defeats incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by 1,957 votes.

Incidentally, the news about Suvendu's victory comes after media reports claimed that he had actually lost the seat to Mamata by 1,200 votes. The Election Commission too had retracted an alleged announcement of Mamata winning.

Reports have quoted Mamata as alleging that there has been "mischief" in Nandigram and she will go to court over the verdict.

Suvendu's victory will be an upset to Mamata who otherwise has overseen a big victory for her party in West Bengal, as it leads in over 200 seats in the state.

The BJP which had carried out an intense campaign against the TMC was hoping to clinch power, but ultimately appears to be falling short of target.

Adhikari, who was one of the senior most leaders in Trinamool Congress, was a favourite to become the chief minister if BJP had managed to win in Bengal. He reportedly quit the party over the rising influence of Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

Suvendu who was previously a minister in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet had claimed that TMC has turned into a company and has no discipline now. “The political party I had been associated earlier has no discipline now. It has turned into a company from a party. I am ashamed of having associated with the party for 21 years,” he remarked.