Mamata lost election from Nandigram, should not become West Bengal CM 'ethically': Biplab Kumar Deb

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday said that Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee should not become the Chief Minister of West Bengal "ethically" as she has lost the election from Nandigram seat in the recently held state Assembly elections. Despite Banerjee losing the seat to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, who was once her close aid, the TMC registered a landslide victory in polls winning 213 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly.

Addressing a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office here to protest the alleged post-poll violence in Bengal, Deb claimed that though the BJP lost the assembly election in some of the states that went to polls, its vote share increased by several times. "Many people have become Chief Minister without contesting the elections, but Mamata Banerjee contested and lost the election from Nandigram. People did not elect her and on this ground, ethically, she should keep herself away from the Chief Ministerial position," he said.

"Now Mamata Banerjee is claiming there was a conspiracy against her. If defeat is a conspiracy, then there is a conspiracy behind victory in the election," Deb added. The Tripura Chief Minister further said that the post-poll violence is taking place across West Bengal after the TMC's win and highlighted that at least five BJP workers have been killed.

"Houses of BJP supporters are being attacked by TMC-backed goons. Party offices, houses and shops of BJP supporters are either being vandalised or being gutted in fire," he added. Deb also urged the TMC supremo to instruct her supporters to refrain from violence and maintain the law and order situation in the state.

He said that BJP supporters in Tripura will also protest against post-election violence in West Bengal and every BJP activist will light five small candles at their home on Wednesday at 7 pm as a mark of protest. Deb emphasised that the vote share of the BJP has increased in all five states and the number of seats has also increased from 3 to 77 in West Bengal, making the saffron party the main Opposition party in the state assembly.

He also pointed out that the BJP had come to power in Assam but not a single incident of political violence was taking place. "In Tripura, the long-running culture of terror has stopped since the 2018 elections," he added.

Deb was accompanied by two MPs - Rebati Tripura and Pratima Bhowmik beside the BJP state president Dr Manik Saha.