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West Bengal polls: BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari files nomination from Nandigram
Adhikari was flanked by two Central ministers Smriti Irani and Devendra Pradhan while he filed his nomination at the SDO office in Haldia. Banerjee has already filed her nomination on Wednesday
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) heavyweight candidate Suvendu Adhikari, whom the party has fielded against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Nandigram in East Midnapore, filed his nomination on Friday.
Adhikari was flanked by two Central ministers Smriti Irani and Devendra Pradhan while he filed his nomination at the SDO office in Haldia. Banerjee has already filed her nomination on Wednesday.
Mounting an attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the multi-crore chit fund scams, Adhikari said that only the BJP would be able to return this money to the victims, if the party comes to power.
“Only the BJP has the power to return you money by selling off the assets, which the Enforcement Directorate has seized, once the party comes to power. No one else will be able to give the money back,” he said, while addressing a public rally before filing his nomination.
Also Read | ‘No question of any competition’: Suvendu Adhikari on BJP’s prospects in Bengal
The TMC, however, hit back saying that the chit fund scams are being investigated by Central agencies and that the BJP was making false promises.
“Two Central agencies, the CBI and the ED, are investigating into the cases since 2013 – 14. How can he say that if the BJP comes to power it would return the money by selling off assets seized by Central agencies? He is making false promises,” said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson.
In 2016, Adhikari had filed his nomination from the Nandigram when he was with the TMC. He joined the BJP in December 2020 and this time he has been fielded by the BJP against TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.
While the eight-phase assembly election starts in Bengal from March 27, Nandigram goes to the polls on April 1 in the second phase. With Banerjee contesting against her protégé-turned-adversary Adhikari, Bengal is all set to witness one of the most high-voltage battles.
On Friday, Union minister Smirti Irani too attacked TMC chieF Mamata Banerjee saying that while Banerjee plays games, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will works on development.
“Khela hobe (The game is on). You (Banerjee) have played with lives of people and respect of women. Your game has made the soil of Bengal red with blood. Have you played with Bhawanipore or you want to play with Nandigram? You play while Modi will bring development. Real transformation will be brought by Modi. Bengal has decided that TMC will go and BJP will come,” she said.
Located around 100km south of Kolkata, Nandigram is one of the most prestigious assembly constituencies for the TMC because mass movements against land acquisition in this area during 2006-08 had paved the path for Mamata Banerjees’s political resurrection.
The town, which has already started gearing up for the big fight, has been decked up with banners, posters, cut-outs and wall graffiti of the two leaders. Both the rival political parties have already come up with their own helipads and Banerjee has also rented a house to stay in Nandigram and fight the polls.
While the TMC put up posters of Banerjee saying that Bengal wants its own daughter, the BJP put up posters in Adhikari’s favour saying that Nandigram wants its bhoomiputra (son of the soil). Posters projecting Banerjee have also come up.
“The people of Nandigram will teach Adhikari a lesson. The people will show him who is outsider and who is the daughter of Nandigram,” said Tapas Roy, TMC spokesperson.
