Shubhendu Adhikari claims TMC offered Deputy CM post, TMC denies

As West Bengal gears up for the Panchayat elections on July 8, BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari has made a significant revelation about the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Adhikari claimed that he was offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister by TMC, but he declined the offer. However, TMC has outrightly rejected this claim.

During an election meeting in Egra, East Midnapore district, Adhikari disclosed that in December 2020, TMC offered him the position of Deputy CM, which he refused in order to protect West Bengal.TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, on the other hand, refuted Adhikari's claim, stating that it was Adhikari himself who demanded the post of Deputy CM after the CBI filed an FIR against Narada.

Ghosh alleged that Adhikari sought the constitutional position to provide himself with legal cover. The conflicting statements have sparked political upheaval in the state ahead of the Panchayat elections.

In addition to the political developments, incidents of violence have marred the election atmosphere in West Bengal. On Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy attending a TMC rally in North 24 Parganas was killed in a bomb attack. Furthermore, a TMC worker was shot dead in South 24 Parganas.

The Calcutta High Court recently issued a significant directive, stating that central forces and state police should be deployed in a 50:50 ratio at every polling booth.