Suvendu Adhikari, trenchant West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee critic, seen with Birbhum TMC netas

SURI: The leader of opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari was seen with two TMC councillors of Suri municipality at a Kali temple in Bengal’s Suri, sparking off speculation.
The meeting took place at Bamni Kali Temple at Suri in Birbhum district on Saturday which Adhikari visited ahead of Kali Puja celebrations.
The two councillors — Ujjwal Chatterjee, who was the former chairman of Suri municipality, and Kundan Dey were present when the senior BJP leader walked into the temple and they spoke to him.
Later, Adhikari posted a picture of the meeting on social media in which Chatterjee is seen speaking to him.
Birbhum district TMC president Anubrata Mondal is in CBI custody in connection with the cattle smuggling scam. Adhikari has repeatedly criticised Mondal.
Adhikari, the Nandigram lawmaker, is a former leader of the TMC. He had switched to BJP in 2020 before the state elections and is a strident critic of the TMC government and its supremo Mamata Banerjee.
The TMC councillors described the meeting as a “coincidence” and “without any political significance”.
Chatterjee said, “I visit the Bamni Kali temple every year before Kali Puja. On Saturday, I suddenly met Subhendu Adhikari in the temple and spoke to him out of courtesy. As he was in our party earlier, we know each other. ” Dey said, “We don’t take politics to the temple. TMC has always been courteous to opposition leaders. ”
No comment was made by the district TMC leadership about the meeting.