Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday held a roadshow in Falta, South 24 Parganas district, marking the last day of campaigning for the May 21 repolls. Adhikari was seen atop the vehicle as voters looked on. Falta was a Trinamool Congress (TMC) stronghold, but its candidate, Jahangir Khan, withdrew his nomination less than 48 hours before re-polling.
“I am the son of Falta. I want Falta to be at peace and grow, with more development here. I envision a ‘Sonar Falta,’” said Jahangir Khan, who also mentioned that he was withdrawing because the Chief Minister is providing a special package.
Khan approached the Calcutta High Court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail against coercive action by West Bengal police, two days after the CM said he would take care of ‘Pushpa,’ indirectly referring to Khan.
What would have been a show of strength by TMC ahead of the repolls in 285 booths turned out to be a quiet surrender to the BJP, as Adhikari stole the limelight with his roadshow. BJP’s Falta candidate, Dr Subhas Sarkar, said that Khan withdrawing his nomination is a defeat for Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee, and TMC's hooliganism.
“He is doing it out of compulsion. He has understood that the people’s mandate is with BJP. This is why it is clear that every election they have won until now was because of looting votes,” said Sarkar.
BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said Khan was responsible for shutting down factories in Falta, and those that remained operational did so due to Khan’s clout. “Jahangir Khan had made it a separate country of sorts,” said Sukanta Majumdar.
“He would not allow people to cast their vote; he inflicted atrocities on Muslims and Hindus. There have been many atrocities during that time,” added Majumdar. The Union minister also stated that there would be investigations against those involved in these atrocities.
TMC issued a statement, saying Khan’s decision was an individual one and not that of the party: "The decision taken by Jahangir Khan to withdraw from the Falta repoll is his personal decision and not that of the party. Since the election results were declared on May 4, more than 100 of our party workers have been arrested in Falta alone. Several party offices have been vandalized, shut down, and forcibly captured in broad daylight through intimidation, while the EC continues to turn a blind eye despite repeated complaints.”
The statement further says that TMC workers resisted BJP's intimidation. “However, some eventually succumbed to the pressure and chose to step away from the field,” it added.
Who is Jahangir Khan?
Khan has been a strongman of TMC in Falta and was contesting in place of MLA Sankar Kumar Naskar, who won from the party in the 2021 Assembly elections. There were reports of Khan intimidating voters ahead of the assembly elections on April 29. Uttar Pradesh’s encounter specialist Ajay Pal Sharma, nicknamed after the Bollywood character ‘Singham,’ sent out a warning to Khan when he was deployed in the region by the Centre.
Khan, however, was undeterred and retorted while addressing the public: “We will not bow to him. This is Bengal; if he is ‘Singham,’ I am ‘Pushpa.’”
There were reports of placing tapes on EVMs to hide the names of candidates from parties other than TMC, prompting repolls. Hundreds of people also blocked roads on May 2, alleging intimidation by TMC workers. There was heavy deployment of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), which gave voters the confidence to come out and protest against intimidation and life threats.
Khan is believed to have ruled Falta for a decade using intimidation tactics to assert his power and establish the region as his stronghold.
There are also allegations against Khan for helping TMC Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee secure a lead of 1,048,230 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Falta falls within the Diamond Harbour region.
In Khan’s affidavit submitted with his nomination on April 7, he mentions that there are no FIRs or cases against him in court.
