Mamata files election petition against Suvendu in HC; hearing on Friday

Banerjee has filed an election petition before the Calcutta HC praying for declaring the election of Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram as null and void

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed an election petition before the Calcutta High Court praying for declaring the election of Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram as null and void, and the matter has been listed for hearing on Friday.

As per the 'cause list' released by the high court on its website on Thursday, the matter is scheduled to be taken up via video conference before the court of Justice Kausik Chanda as "to be mentioned".

The Trinamool Congress supremo, in her petition, has accused Adhikari of committing corrupt practises as envisaged under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The alleged corrupt practices included "bribery, undue influence, spreading enmity", according to her petition.

Banerjee also claimed in her plea that discrepancies were committed in the counting process.

The Election Commission had declared Adhikari the winner and the Trinamool Congress supremo the runner-up in the fiercely contested election for the Nandigram constituency.

Alleging discrepancies and malpractices in the counting process and refusal of requests for recounting of votes by the returning officer, Banerjee had said following declaration of the results that the doors of the court would be knocked on the issue.

BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari is at present the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly.