In a see-saw, anti-climatic battle, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari beat Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram after last-minute confusion arose with regards to the counting of votes.
A constituency that grabbed countless eyeballs ever since the candidates were announced and the historical context attached to it, the contest in Nandigram lived up to its hype. TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee was challenged by close aide turned foe Suvendu Adhikari on a turf that’s no stranger to both the leaders.
Needless to say, both candidates left no stone unturned in the campaign in this key battle within a larger battle for the state. Banerjee ditched the safety approach of contesting from both Nandigram and her home constituency of Bhavanipore and decided to accept Adhikari’s challenge.
Ever since the counting began in the 292 constituencies of West Bengal on Sunday morning, Nandigram began on a positive note for BJP’s Adhikari who gained a slender but a lead nonetheless over the Chief Minister in the initial trends. Thereon, the pendulum swung with either candidate taking a lead at regular intervals.
As the day progressed, it became increasingly clear that TMC was well on its way to secure a thumping majority in West Bengal in a direct bipolar contest between the TMC and BJP. Banerjee’s fate though in Nandigram hung in the balance. It was a rather strange situation when a party was well on its way to secure the majority and form a government, the Chief Minister was yet to be elected.
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By Sunday evening, when the trends further solidified and most of the candidates knew their fate, the Election Commission declared Mamata Banerjee as the winner from Nandigram by 1200 votes. This, of course, was the icing on the cake for the already celebrating TMC workers (who didn’t bat an eyelid for COVID-19 protocols in the process) and hailed their leader’s courage and defeating a ‘traitor’ in Adhikari.
The Nandigram victory soon turned bittersweet. In an anti-climatic twist, the Election Commission retracted its statement and said that there’s another round of voting still remaining. While the Chief Minister was relishing her party’s mammoth victory, addressing the media and talking about the Nandigram result, she said “I accept the verdict in Nandigram – it is not a big deal. Don’t worry,”
Don't worry about Nandigram, I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It's ok. Let the Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don't mind. We won more than 221 seats & BJP has lost the election: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/jmp098PF2A
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021
Confusion ensued post her statement with certain sections claiming that the TMC wants a recount while some claimed that the counting of the last round hadn’t been completed. Clarifications came out from all sections. ECI’s official portal’s lag in updating the results also added to the confusion.
The counting process for Nandigram has not been completed. Please do not speculate.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 2, 2021
At the end of it all, in an act of sweet revenge for the BJP, the EC announced that it was Suvendu Adhikari who has won the Nandigram seat by a narrow lead of 1736 votes.
My sincere thanks to great people of Nandigram for their love, trust, blessings& support&for choosing me as their representative & MLA from Nandigram. It's my never-ending commitment to be of service to them & working for their welfare. I'm truly grateful: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/wnq6LTwp1l
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021
The day, however, belonged to Didi and the TMC who swept Bengal with 211 seats and BJP finishing a distant second with 79 seats as of Sunday night trends.
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