Kolkata, Dec 19 (IANS): The West Bengal government on Thursday withdrew its affidavit in the election petition filed by Rekha Patra, the BJP candidate for Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency in North 24 Parganas district in the general elections this year.

The state government has also tendered an apology to the court for filing the affidavit which carried the signature of the returning officer despite the state government not being a party in the said election petition.

The counsel for Patra had questioned how the returning officer could sign the copy of the affidavit filed by the state government and also questioned the neutrality of the returning officer.

Thereafter the single-judge bench of Krishna Rao, before whom the election petition was filed, asked the state government for the reason behind filing the affidavit despite not being a party in the case.

Finally, on Thursday, the state government withdrew the affidavit and tendered an apology in the matter. The next hearing on the matter will be in January 2025.

Patra became the face of the movement by women at Sandeshkhali under Basirhat sub-division in North 24 Parganas district before the Lok Sabha polls this year against the events of sexual harassment on women and illegal land grabbing by now-suspended local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates.

Later, the BJP fielded her as the party candidate in the Parliamentary polls However, she was defeated by Trinamool candidate Haji Nurul Islam.

In her election petition filed in June, Patra accused the winning Trinamool candidate, who died in September, of suppressing information to the Election Commission. Her counsel claimed that the Trinamool candidate adopted an immoral stance while contesting the election.

Thereafter in July, the single-judge bench ordered serving notice to all parties concerned in the case and also directed the preservation of all election-related documents including EVMs, postal ballots, and CCTV footage among others.