Kolkata, July 5: The leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed on Wednesday that he was offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister by Trinamool Congress in December 2020 just before he quit the ruling party and joined the BJP. “On December 1, 2020, I was offered the chair of Deputy Chief Minister, just a few days before I joined the BJP. But I did not accept the offer since I was determined to quit Trinamool. I was not stripped of any of the ministerial chairs that I held when I was with Trinamool. I had resigned from those posts voluntarily. West Bengal Panchayat Election 2023: Suvendu Adhikari Moves Calcutta HC Against Mamata Banerjee Over Model Code of Conduct Violation.

"I had rejected the offer since the only feeling I had in my mind then was that Bengal needed to be saved. On December 19, 2020, I joined the BJP,” Adhikari said while addressing a rally at Egra in East Medinipur district. However, Adhikari’s claims were refuted by Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh, who said the proposal to become the Deputy CM actually came from the current leader of opposition which was rejected by the party leadership. West Bengal Panchayat Elections 2023 Violence: Suvendu Adhikari Files Caveat at Supreme Court in Connection With Deployment of Central Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, Adhikari also gave a call to the central armed forces personnel already deployed in the state for the July 8 panchayat elections to work independently on the polling day. “You have come here following instructions from the Calcutta High Court. The Chief Minister did not call you here. Your noble duty is to protect the people of the state. The current rulers have destroyed democracy in West Bengal. They have converted the state police into party cadres. Do not listen to them,” Adhikari said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2023 08:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).