Nandigram (West Bengal): When was the last time one heard a chief minister raising allegations of rigging against the opposition? When was the last time when a chief minister said that legal recourse will have to be taken against the Union Home Ministry and Election Commission (ECI)?
Well, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee made these allegations and many more as battleground Nandigram became the cynosure of all eyes in the second phase of Assembly polls in West Bengal. There were a number of skirmishes and clashes in some other Assembly constituencies going to the polls Thursday, but it was the Mamata versus former protégé Suvendu Adhikari contest that attracted national limelight.
Both Adhikari and Banerjee appeared confident of winning, but while the former remained cool all through the day, Banerjee rattled off one allegation after the other. It was as if she was the underdog and not Adhikari. The CM alleged that the central forces deployed in her constituency were helping the BJP under instructions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. She also alleged that the EC was following the instructions of Shah and not acting on complaints of alleged irregularities lodged by her party. “We have so far filed 63 complaints, but no action has been taken,” Banerjee told mediapersons in the afternoon.
However amid all this she said she was ‘confident’ of winning but ‘worried about the future of democracy’.
On the other hand, Adhikari’s car, was attacked, and stones were pelted while he was visiting booths. “I am used to such protests by TMC goons. Let them do whatever they want till the results are out May 2,” Adhikari told reporters.
