BJP Deals Big Blow to West Bengal State Chief, Sweeping Key Poll in Nandigram

The West Bengal state chief won her third term in office after her party, the All India Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), defeated the BJP in the 2021 state polls. TMC currently has 215 legislators in the state assembly, while BJP is the largest opposition party, with 75 lawmakers.

In a massive setback for West Bengal State Chief Mamata Banerjee, the BJP handed a big defeat to her party in a key local poll held in Nandigram, located in Purba Medinipur District of the Indian state.

According to news agency PTI, in the election to the cooperative body, Bhekutia Samabay Krishi Samity, the BJP candidates emerged victorious in 11 of the 12 constituencies to snatch it from TMC's hold.

A lone candidate from Banerjee's party, meanwhile, succeeded in winning the election.

Nandigram is widely regarded as a TMC stronghold as the party has won election after election from there since coming to power in the state in 2011. However, TMC's hold on the constituency has been shaken in the last year or so after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 state elections.

Congratulating the BJP's workers for the victory in Nandigram's cooperative body polls, Adhikari tweeted that the party's win would pave the way for bigger success in the state.

"Nationalist greetings to all the Cooperative Society voters of Bhekutia Samabay Krishi Unnayan Samiti, of my Nandigram Constituency, for electing the BJP panel of directors. Victories like this pave the path for greater success in the future," Adhikari tweeted.

The victory of PM Modi's BJP in Nandigram's cooperative body poll comes on the heels of the party's campaign against the state government.

Last week, the BJP organized massive protests against Mamata Banerjee's government in the state, accusing her party's leaders of being involved in corruption.