MIDNAPORE: With poll fever rising high in the state ahead of the Assembly elections, hoardings displayed near the place where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is staying in Nandigram for her election campaign read, 'Nandigram, Midnapore wants its own son and not outsider'.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief on March 5 announced that she will contest the election from Nandigram. Banerjee will be filing her nomination on Wednesday for upcoming elections from Nandigram.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 6 fielded former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari from the same seat against Mamata Banerjee and set the stage for a high-profile contest.
Adhikari, a former minister in the TMC government, had joined the BJP in December last year. He had earlier said the BJP will defeat TMC by over 50,000 votes from Nandigram.
Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee recited Chandi as she launched her poll campaign for the Nandigram seat asserting that no one should dare to play 'Hindu card' against her, adding that the people will make BJP 'April fool' on the polling day.
On the insider versus outsider debate, Banerjee said, "Some people are calling me an outsider in Nandigram. I was born and brought up in the neighbouring Birbhum district. Today I have become an outsider. And, those coming from Gujarat are now insiders?"
"If you do not want me to file the nomination, I will not. But, if you consider me your daughter, then I will move ahead with filing my nomination," she added.
Banerjee also visited Chandi Temple in Nandigram. She visited Shamshabad Mazar in Nandigram and offered a chadar there.
BJP on Saturday released its first list of 57 candidates for the polls and fielded Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram against Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, setting the stage for a high-profile contest from the seat in the state Assembly elections.
West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)