'Will have difficult days ahead': Adhir Chowdhury after shock defeat in West Bengal's Baharampur

Congress veteran and five-time MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is understandably upset after his defeat from the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal. Chowdhury said in a recent interview that he is not sure about what his political future looks like and was apprehending "hard times" for himself in the coming days. 

Speaking to a Bengali TV channel, Chowdhury said that he has neglected his sources of income and calls himself 'BPL MP'. He was defeated by Trinamool Congress' star candidate and cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan by a margin of more than 85,000 votes.

"In my endeavour to fight this government, I have neglected my sources of income. I call myself a BPL MP. I have no other skills apart from politics. So I will have difficulties for myself in the days ahead and I have no clue how to overcome them," he said. 

He further said that he will visit Delhi to vacate his official MP residence. He added that his daughter is a student and uses the place sometimes for her studies, while noting he will have to find a new place. 

He also commented on Mamata Banerjee's proximity to the INDIA bloc, stating he never objected to TMC's presence but resisted an alliance with Banerjee. Chowdhury accepted his defeat and mentioned he had previously wanted to step down as state PCC chief but stayed on Sonia Gandhi's request.

He highlighted the absence of central leaders in his campaign and urged Banerjee to ensure the safety of Congress workers in the state.

"We took part in Rahul Gandhi's East-West Bharat Jodo Yatra when it reached Murshidabad. Our party president Mallikarjun Kharge campaigned in Malda once but never came to Baharampur. That was a call of our central leadership about which I have nothing to say," Chowdhury said. 

Furthermore, he urged Mamata Banerjee to ensure the security of his supporters. 

"The state is now conquered. What's the point in targeting our workers now? Punish me all you want for opposing you, but leave my workers alone. They don't deserve to be punished for supporting the Congress," Chowdhury pleaded.

Chowdhury's defeat marks a significant loss for Congress in Baharampur, reducing the party's presence to just the Malda Dakshin seat in Bengal. Despite his efforts to forge an alliance with the Left, the Congress-Left combine's vote share and seats have declined compared to 2019.