West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has moved the Calcutta High Court, challenging the election results of the Nandigram seat in the state Assembly polls, reported ANI on Thursday. The High Court will hear the matter on Friday.
Banerjee had lost the Nandigram seat to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari, her former close aide who had joined the saffron party before the elections.
There was massive confusion surrounding the results of the seat on the day of the counting on May 2. The confusion emerged after it was reported around 4.30 pm that Banerjee had won the seat by a margin of 1,200 votes though the counting of votes was under progress. Later, the Election Commission declared that Adhikari had defeated Banerjee by a margin of 1,956 votes.
Banerjee had then alleged “looting and cheating” in the counting process. The Trinamool Congress had sought to recount votes – a request the Election Commission denied. Banerjee had said that she will move the court against the result.
The Trinamool Congress, however, secured a landslide victory in the state elections, winning 213 constituencies – way beyond the majority mark of 148 – in the 294-seat Assembly. Banerjee became the chief minister for the third consecutive term.
Later in May, Banerjee decided to contest the Bhabanipur constituency to get elected to the state Assembly as Article 164(4) of the Constitution says that individuals can take oath as a minister even if they are not MLAs, but will have to get elected within a period of six months after being sworn in.
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