In a major setback to the Congress and its West Bengal unit, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the party’s outgoing floor leader of the Lok Sabha, lost to the Trinamool Congress’s debut candidate and cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan in Baharampur.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Chowdhury discusses the reasons behind his loss, the dynamics between the TMC and Congress in West Bengal, and his future plans. Here are some excerpts:

“A defeat is a defeat. Despite my best efforts, I could not succeed. I have won the seat five times before, but I hear the BJP polled more votes this time.

The ruling TMC in West Bengal ran a strange campaign. They brought in someone from outside—though I have no objection to that—but he (Pathan) came and urged minorities to vote for ‘bhai’ instead of ‘dada.’ Here, ‘dada’ means Hindu and ‘bhai’ means Muslim.”

“But I don’t have any complaints against anyone. Yusuf Pathan is a good man who didn’t say a word against me. As a sportsman, he fought fairly. I tried my best, but our battle was against the ruling party, which has the organization and controls all the panchayats and municipalities. Over time, they provided welfare scheme benefits to the people. My district is very poor and serves as a hub for migrant workers.”

“If a poor person receives Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200, it provides significant relief, especially for women. During the campaign, they claimed that if the TMC candidate lost, the Lakshmir Bandar scheme for women would be stopped, instilling fear among voters.

However, I am not offering these as excuses. I accept the defeat unconditionally.”

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