Ahead of next phase, Amit Shah campaigns in CM Mamata’s backyard Bhawanipore

Union home minister Amit Shah went on a door-to-door campaign seeking votes from people in south Kolkata’s Bhawanipore area considered as chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s backyard.

As Shah went on an electioneering drive on the TMC’s chief’s home turf, the latter launched an attack on the veteran BJP leader in Purba Bardhaman district saying that he was more dangerous than a tiger.

“Mark my words, BJP is going to win the Bhawanipore seat by a huge margin like other seats,” Shah told the media before leaving the spot.

As Shah walked through the dingy lanes of Bakulbagan, distributing pamphlets of the BJP’s manifesto and requesting voters with folded hands to cast their votes in favour of the lotus symbol, the air was rent with sounds of conch shells and slogans like Jay Shri Ram and Bharat Mata Ki Jay.

Women of the slum, located barely a kilometre from Mamata Banerjee’s residence welcomed Shah with flowers and garlands.

Even though Bhawanipore is Banerjee’s constituency, she decided to contest the assembly polls from Nandigram in East Midnapore. The TMC fielded veteran party leader Sovandeb Chatterjee while the BJP has pitted actor turned politician Rudranil Ghosh. The constituency goes to polls in the seventh phase on April 26.

Banerjee, on the other hand, while campaigning in Hooghly district attacked Shah saying that he was instructing the central forces and was more dangerous than a tiger.

“I respect both the state police and central forces. But Amit Shah is making them do bad things. This is being done by Shah and not the ECI. We have never seen such a dangabaaz and gunda home minister. His eyes are always bloodshot as if he will attack right now. He is more dangerous than a tiger. Even a tiger is not so scary,” said Mamata at a public meeting in Purba Bardhaman.

She also said that the police was not listening to anyone and it was as if President’s Rule had been imposed in the state. The TMC chief too held at least three rallies in Bardhaman.

“Banerjee is trying to fight the elections based on terror and sympathy. If she knows that Shah is scarier than a tiger then she should be happy because people will not go near him. Why is she complaining?” said Jay Prakash Majumdar, BJP’s state vice president.

Later in the day, Shah had a vegetarian Bengali lunch at the apartment of BJP old-timer and state leader Samarendraprasad Biswas in Bhawanipore constituency.

In the afternoon, Shah attended at least two road shows at Jagatdal and Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas. These areas go to polls in the fifth and sixth phases scheduled on April 17 and 22.

BJP national president Nadda held at least three roadshows at Rajarhat-Gopalpur, Chakdah and Bardhaman. He also held an organizational meeting.