Kulti, 21 March (H.S.): In a rare display of political courtesy amid the ongoing poll heat, BJP candidate Ajay Poddar met veteran Left leader Manik Lal Acharya on Saturday and sought his blessings in Kulti Assembly Constituency of West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district.
Acharya, a senior Forward Bloc leader and a dominant political figure in the area during the Left Front era, represented the Kulti seat for three consecutive terms between 1991 and 2001.
Poddar visited Acharya at his residence in Dishergarh and offered him prasad from the Chhinnamasta temple. “His contribution to the development of Kulti is undeniable. It is my privilege to meet such an experienced leader and seek his blessings,” Poddar said.
The meeting has drawn attention due to the layered political history of the constituency. In 2006, Trinamool Congress leader Ujjal Chattopadhyay defeated Acharya. Notably, Chattopadhyay was once considered a political protégé of Acharya and had earlier been associated with the Forward Bloc.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, Poddar defeated Chattopadhyay to win the seat.
In the current electoral contest, Forward Bloc has fielded Bhawani Acharya, considered close to Manik Lal Acharya, marking the party’s return to the constituency after a gap of nearly a decade.
Despite a candidate from his own party in the fray, Acharya’s willingness to meet the BJP candidate and extend courtesies has surprised many and added an unusual dimension to the political landscape in Kulti.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
