West Bengal Assembly election 2021, Nilanjan Adhikari profile: BJP’s Nandakumar candidate to face TMC’s Sukumar De

BJP has fielded Nilanjan Adhikari from the Nandakumar Assembly constituency in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls. Adhikari is contesting against TMC’s Sukumar De. Nandakumar will go to polls in the second of eight phases on 1 April. The 41-year-old is TMC turncoat and BJP’s Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari’s brother. He had filed a petition in Calcutta High Court last year to reopen the files of Nandigram movement He had challenged the Mamata Banerjee government’s decision to withdraw cases lodged during the movement, specifically referring to two murder cases — case numbers 237 and 697 — where the 63 persons, including leaders of Trinamool, Congress and even the BJP, stood accused. The high court had on 5 March ruled that the two murder cases, which were allowed to be withdrawn by a lower court in Haldia, were not to be withdrawn. Following the high court ruling stating that the cases should not be withdrawn, the BJP’s Nandakumar candidate prayed before a court at Haldia for action. The court told the police to reopen the cases and take necessary action. The Nandakumar Assembly constituency lies in the Purba Medinipur district, and is a part of the Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency. Elections for the West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases, up from seven last time, beginning with polling for 30 seats on 27 March. The second phase of West Bengal’s assembly elections has been scheduled for 1 April and will cover 30 constituencies, followed by the third phase on 6 April for 31 seats, the fourth on 10 April for 44 constituencies, the fifth on 17 April for 45 seats, sixth for 43 seats on 22 April, seventh phase on 26 April for 36 seats and last and eighth phase on 29 April for 35 seats. The results of the election will be declared on 2 May.