West Bengal assembly election: Mamata Banerjee to contest from Nandigram

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday that she would contest the crucial 2021 assembly polls from two constituencies—Bhawanipore in Kolkata and Nandigram in East Midnapore.

Nandigram is one of most prestigious Assembly constituencies for the TMC because mass movements against land acquisition in Nandigram and Singur during 2006-08 paved the path for Banerjee’s political resurrection. Bhawanipore, on the other hand is Banerjee’s home turf, and she is the MLA from the constituency.

“How will it be if I myself contest from Nandigram? It was just my feeling that I shared. Nandigram finds a place in my heart and soul,” Banerjee said as the crowd burst into applause.

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TMC MLA from Nandigram and former minister Suvendu Adhikari quit the post and shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on December 19, 2020 when Union home minister Amit Shah had come to the state.

“It is my wish. I am not neglecting Bhawanipore. I request Subrata Bakshi (TMC’s state president and Rajya Sabha MP) to include my name in Nandigram too,” Banerjee said.

It was Banerjee’s first rally from Nandigram after Adhikari defected to the BJP. The TMC had earlier planned to hold a rally on January 7. It was postponed.

The BJP took a jibe against TMC saying that the party is doing this to boost the morale of its workers but it won’t be enough to “stop the ship from sinking”.

“Exodus has started within the TMC and Banerjee is trying to stop the exodus and boost the morale of ground-level workers. But such moves won’t be able to save the party. BJP will win more than 200 seats and is coming to power,” said Samik Bhattacharya, the BJP spokesperson.