Mamata vs Suvendu: Nandigram poll result hearing deferred

11:45 June 18

Kolkata:The Calcutta High Court on Friday adjourned hearing to June 24 in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's petition challenging the election of Leader Of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram. The matter was mentioned by Banerjee's lawyer before the court of Justice Kaushik Chanda as per the list for hearing.

Justice Chanda asked the petitioner's lawyer to serve copies of the election petition to the opposite parties and fixed the matter for hearing on Thursday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in her petition, had 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.

Read:BJP plans protests across Bengal against post-poll violence

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.

Read:Calcutta HC to hear Mamata's plea challenging Nandigram Assembly poll result today