Nandigram: Battle lines and daggers were clearly drawn as campaigning for the second phase of polls was coming to a close Tuesday. The Nandigram Assembly constituency will be watched by the whole nation as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her former protégé Suvendu Adhikari go for each other’s jugular. Suvendu has switched allegiance to the BJP and the actions of the former Trinamool Congress heavyweight is being watched keenly by all and sundry. Both Mamata Banerjee and Adhikari along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah organised massive rallies to woo the voters.
Banerjee alleged Tuesday that police forces from BJP–ruled states have been brought in to ‘terrorise’ voters in the Nandigram assembly seat.
Before leading a colourful road show from Bhangabera, the West Bengal chief minister told a public meeting in Sonachura that police personnel from Madhya Pradesh have been deployed to ‘terrorise’ voters in villages. This was being done to tilt the balance in favour of the BJP.
Banerjee however, asserted that she was confident of a massive win from the seat. She also said the Trinamool Congress will come to power for a third straight term.
“They (police forces from outside) will be here only for a few days. Make no mistake, we will be back and give the betrayers a befitting reply,” she said in a veiled threat to Adhikari. Banerjee also urged the people to be alert against ‘any bid to incite communal riots’ in Nandigram ahead of the polling April 1.
“They (the BJP) have plans to kill their own people and pass it off as our handiwork to engineer riots. We have the information. Be on guard,” she said without naming the saffron party.
Elsewhere in a show of might Shah held a massive roadshow in the high- profile Nandigram constituency.
Standing atop a lorry, decked up with flowers and BJP flags, Shah, with TMC turncoat and party candidate Adhikari by his side, waved at enthusiastic crowds that gathered along the four-km stretch between Bethuria and Rayapara in the East Midnapore assembly segment.
Locals queued up on two sides of the road and watched the procession, which inched its way through the narrow streets amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Narendra Modi Zindabad’ and ‘Amit Shah Zindabad’. Many of them were seen shooting videos and clicking selfies at the roadshow.
“You can only bring development to Nandigram by defeating ‘Didi’ (Mamata Banerjee),” Shah told the gathering. “Help Suvendu ji to win by a huge margin and open the doors of development,” he added.