Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition, on Saturday demanded President’s rule in Bengal and said he was not bothered about what “the people in Delhi think”, a statement that betrays his frustration with the Union government led by his party BJP.

“There are only two ways. An uprising by the people. Let us go to Kalighat (the residence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee). Let us remove the bricks. Either this or the implementation of article 356 or 355 of the constitution. I do not care what people in Delhi or other people say. I have quit ministries and come here to save Bengal from Mamata Banerjee,” he said while addressing a news conference at Nandigram.

“I am here with a cause and that is not my own uplift. It is to save democracy in Bengal and to do that I will do everything I need to with or without a (party’s) flag,” he added.

Under Article 356, the Union government can take direct control of state machinery, in case the respective state government fails to function. This provision is constitutionally dubbed as President’s Rule.

Similarly, if Article 355 is imposed, the Union government is enjoined to protect the state from external as well as internal disturbances.

While either of the two is a long-standing demand of state BJP leaders, central leaders of the party, including Union home minister Amit Shah, have repeatedly rejected this demand and urged the state unit to remove Mamata’s government democratically.

But sources close to Adhikari said that his desperation to get rid of Mamata and her party has prompted him to make a high-pitched demand for the implementation of either of the two constitutional provisions.

In the evening, however, Adhikari claimed that he did not demand Article 356, but wants Article 355 to be imposed in the state.

The sources have added that Adhikari is unhappy with the deployment of central forces, which operate under the Union ministry of home affairs.

Till Saturday, around 660 companies of the central forces had reached the state, while the Calcutta High Court had ordered the deployment of 822 companies.

On Friday evening, Adhikari’s lawyer Suryaneel Das wrote to Satish Chandra Budakoti, IG, BSF and the nodal officer for deployment of central forces during the July 8 polls. In the letter, Das wrote that an order was passed by the Calcutta High Court on Thursday to deploy central forces within 24 hours. While the time limit expired on Friday.

Das also wrote that he had instructions from Adhikari to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Budakoti for not abiding by the court’s orders.

He added that the BSF IG will be held responsible for all the deaths and acts of violence that happen on the poll day.

Adhikari, during the poll hours on Saturday, was restricted to his booth area in Nandan Ayek Bar in East Midnapore’s Nandigram by an order issued by the district police superintendent. He reached the local booth no. 77 around 10am. Around 11.30, he cast his vote.

Local BJP leadership claimed that his presence in the area on Saturday encouraged the BJP supporters and voters in general.