New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rekha Patra, a newbie in politics, is trailing by a large margin of 2,90,674 votes against her closest rival Haji Nurul Islam from the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Islam had secured 6,39,479 votes till 5.40 pm Tuesday, according to the Election Commission of India website.
Patra’s defeat is a setback for the BJP, whose poll campaign in West Bengal centered on “nari shakti (women empowerment)” in the wake of allegations of sexual assault and land grab in Sandeshkhali, which led to the arrests of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, his brother, and aides.
Basirhat saw a fierce three-way campaign between Patra, Islam, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Nirapada Sardar. With his local influence and grassroots network buttressed by a Muslim population of over 50 percent, Islam posed a formidable challenge to Patra, who was fighting her first election. On the other hand, CPI(M)’s Sardar, a former MLA from Sandeshkhali, also showed promise but eventually came third.
Patra’s performance is facing scrutiny at the national level after she threw down the gauntlet to the TMC in Sandeshkhali after the land grab and sexual assault allegations came to the fore. After the BJP announced her candidature, Patra got a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising her courage and referring to her as “shakti swaroopa (power incarnate)”.
Patra catapulted to the limelight as she publicly raised her voice and led protests against Shahjahan and his aides, who are currently behind bars. Her defeat now will give an edge to the TMC, which has accused the BJP of “scripting” the Sandeskhali row.
The TMC has won three Lok Sabha elections in a row from Basirhat since 2009. With a minority population of over 50 percent, the seat has only elected Muslim representatives.
The constituency comprises seven assembly segments — Baduria, Haroa, Minakhan (SC), Sandeshkhali (ST), Basirhat Dakshin, Basirhat Uttar, and Hingalganj (SC) — all in the North 24 Parganas district.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, TMC dropped sitting MP Nusrat Jahan and fielded 2009 LS election winner Islam in her place.
Jahan, who defeated BJP’s Sayantan Basu by 3.5 lakh votes in 2019, was not nominated by the party following her muted reaction to the atrocities in Sandeshkhali.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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