The polling for the most hotly contested seat of Nandigram is underway in the second phase of the West Bengal assembly polls. The seat is a prestige battle for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has shifted her constituency after batting from Bhabhanipur in the previous elections. The sole purpose of Mamata parachuting herself to Nandigram was to challenge Suvendu Adhikari who late last year, switched flanks and joined the BJP cadre.
Adhikari holds significant sway in the entire region and holds the key to South Bengal. Thus by eliminating Adhikari, Didi wants to make sure she holds the power reins of Bengal. However, fearing the worst that she is losing from the seat and subsequently the elections, TMC is being alleged to have left no stone unturned to make Nandigram, the epicentre of political violence.
According to media reports, earlier in the morning, Suvendu Adhikari’s convoy was allegedly attacked with stones at two places while visiting booths in the assembly constituency. It is being reported that Adhikari’s motorcade was also gheraoed as TMC supporters shouted slogans against the BJP leader. Vehicles in the convoy were pelted with stones and a few media persons were injured as well.
Accusing Mamata Banerjee’s supporters of carrying out the attack, Suvendu Adhikari said, “People of one community, illiterate, are doing this after being incited by Mamata Banerjee.”
Each stone hurled at innocent people & on BJP will be used to build exit path for anarchist regime of TMC. Didi, for too long you have mistaken Bengal's silence for weakness, your violence has only strengthened people's resolve for 'Ebar BJP': Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pic.twitter.com/SVhwG7dtBi
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
Just before the voting commenced in the constituency, news came in from the Bhekutia area of Nandigram that one BJP worker named Uday Dubey was found hanging at his home. It is being alleged that Dubey was under tremendous stress as he was receiving threats from the TMC after he attended the recent roadshow of superstar Mithun Chakraborty. Meanwhile, BJP has claimed that Dubey could also have been hanged by TMC goons.
#WATCH: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee speaks to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the phone at a polling booth in Nandigram. She says, "…They didn't allow the local people to cast their vote. From morning I am campaigning…Now I am appealing to you, please see…" pic.twitter.com/mjsNQx38BB
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021
As reported by TFI, TMC has known no bounds since the tide started turning in BJP’s favour. On Monday, a BJP supporter’s wife was allegedly gang-raped by four men in Reyapara, Nandigram. The husband of the woman lodged an FIR against four accused men, claiming that they were workers of the TMC.
However, what was more shocking in the aftermath of the heinous incident was the fact that Mamata sought to proclaim that the BJP was bringing in goons from UP and Bihar to commit crimes against women in the state in order to defame West Bengal.
“They (BJP) have another plan to kill a woman from their own party with goons they have brought from Bihar and UP and put the blame on Bengal. This is their plan,” Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Moreover, who can forget the death of 85-year-old Shobha Majumdar who was beaten black and blue by the TMC goons? To this day, Mamata continues to maintain that she does not know the “real cause of death” of the elderly lady. And as per a report by ABP News, instead of paying respects to the departed soul, Mamata once again deflected from the issue by counter-questioning Union Home Minister Amit Shah as to why was he silent over the death of a woman in Uttar Pradesh, which is ruled by the BJP.
Read more: Final nail in TMC’s coffin: 85-year-old Shobha Majumdar, brutally beaten by TMC goons, dies
Till the reports came in last, the Election commission had recorded 60.97 per cent voting till 3 PM. And while TMC continues to engage in violence, the party leaders like Mahua Moitra have already started complaining about the EVM’s malfunctioning.
It is evident that TMC has lost the plot but there is respect in going down gracefully, albeit the ruling party and Mamata are allegedly hell-bent on signing off as goons who plunged the state into anarchy.
