Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced that he will continue as the MLA from Bhabanipur and vacate the Nandigram Assembly constituency, setting the stage for a by-election in one of West Bengal’s most politically significant seats.

After taking oath as an MLA in the state Assembly from Bhabanipur, Adhikari told reporters that although he would no longer officially represent Nandigram in the Assembly, he would continue to remain closely associated with the constituency and ensure development commitments are fulfilled.

“Someone else will be elected as MLA from Nandigram. But I will not let the people there feel my absence during the next five years,” Adhikari said while speaking to the media inside the Assembly premises.

The Chief Minister said he would continue supporting developmental activities in Nandigram in the same way he had done earlier, even during periods when he was not the elected MLA from the constituency.

Referring to the tenure of former legislator Phiroja Bibi, Adhikari recalled that he had actively supported the constituency’s administration and welfare work despite not officially holding the seat at the time.

Adhikari emerged as one of the biggest winners in the recently concluded Assembly elections, securing victories from both Bhabanipur and Nandigram. He defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by more than 15,000 votes and also retained Nandigram with a sizeable margin against the Trinamool Congress candidate.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal urging citizens and public representatives to reduce petrol and diesel consumption amid the global energy uncertainty linked to the West Asia conflict.

Backing the Prime Minister’s call, Adhikari said he had already directed officials to reduce the number of vehicles in his official convoy and retain only essential security and support vehicles.

“The prime minister is our guide and mentor. We will follow the path shown by him,” Adhikari said, while describing the move as a responsible step during a period of global instability.

He further stated that instructions had been passed to the state police leadership to remove unnecessary vehicles from the Chief Minister’s cavalcade as part of austerity and fuel conservation measures.