"Pass Or Fail": Suvendu Adhikari Says Bengal Bypolls A 'Test' For Minorities

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has framed the upcoming October 6 Assembly by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar as a critical "test" for minority voters, challenging them to "pass or fail" the test.

Muslims account for around 65% of voters in Rejinagar, which falls in Murshidabad, and around 26% in Nandigram, East Midnapore.

Addressing a rally in Haldia, East Midnapore, Adhikari assured local residents that administrative outreach and development services in the constituency would persist seamlessly under the BJP's representation.

And then he threw a challenge to the Muslim voters of the two constituencies.

"No one could have ever imagined that BJP would win Nandigram by such a margin this time. Not only in Nandigram, but I have also defeated her (Mamata Banerjee) even across the Ganges. And for the minority who do not vote for us, who do not vote for BJP, now there is an opportunity for all of them to decide whether you will stay with the government or not. Whether you will work hand in hand with the Chief Minister or not, you will have to take this test on the 6th," the Chief Minister said.

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He added: "Your tests are in Rejinagar and Nandigram. Let's see whether you pass or fail. And the rest will be seen after the 18th."

Adhikari had vacated the Nandigram seat as he retained Bhabanipur where he defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, necessitating the bypoll. The Rejinagar seat was vacated by AJUP chief Humayun Kabir, who also won from two seats.

In Nandigram, the BJP's vote share was 50.56%. In Rejinagar, the BJP finished second with 27.02% of the vote share, losing to Kabir, who secured 51.62%.

Notably, the BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath for the high-profile Nandigram Assembly seat. Rath is the mother of murdered Suvendu Adhikari aide Chandranath Rath, who was gunned down on May 6, just two days after the election results. From the Rejinagar constituency, Sakharav Sarkar is the party candidate.

The Trinamool Congress has hit out at the Chief Minister's framing of the contest as a "test" for minorities, calling it a "threat".

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"It is a threat. I condemn it. It shows the Chief Minister's communal mindset against Muslims," TMC MP Saugata Roy said.

"Our country stands for unity in diversity. I want the chief of our administration to also accept and uphold this. I would request, and wish from the bottom of our hearts, that the chief of our administration also recognises the diversity of our country. We wish that good sense prevails upon him," TMC MP Dola Sen said.

The BJP, however, has defended the Chief Minister's remarks, blaming the TMC and Left for using minorities as their vote bank.

"What the Chief Minister has said is absolutely correct. The opposition - be it the Trinamool, the Left, or the Congress - has treated minorities merely as a vote bank, always securing their votes for their own gain without delivering any actual development for them. That is why the Chief Minister has urged them to vote for development," BJP leader Keya Ghosh said.