West Bengal Assembly Polls: TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee files nomination from Nandigram Assembly seat

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee filed her papers at the Haldia sub-divisional office, after taking part in a 2-km roadshow. Mamata will face her former protege and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the high-profile Nandigram assembly seat.

Kolkata: Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday (March 10) filed her nomination from Nandigram's seat for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. 

Accompanied by party president Subrata Bakshi, Mamata Banerjee filed her papers at the Haldia sub-divisional office, after taking part in a 2-km roadshow. Mamata will face her former protege and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the high-profile Nandigram assembly seat.

Nandigram assembly constituency is set for a high-octane battle with Mamata deciding to contest from the seat against Adhikari, who recently switched over to the saffron camp.

Suvendu Adhikari, however, branded Mamata Banerjee as an outsider in Nandigram and asserted that people duped by chit fund companies in the state would get back their money if the saffron party is voted to power.

Accusing Banerjee of trying to divide communities into religious lines ahead of the assembly elections, Adhikari said the TMC supremo had "incorrectly" recited the 'Chandipath' (holy text) here on Tuesday.

He alleged that the chit fund scam happened because the TMC government and its leaders "looted public money", adding "She (Banerjee) is an outsider in Nandigram. She does not even cast her vote here. I am not only the 'bhoomiputra' (son of the soil of Nandigram), but also a regular voter of the area."

"I have been with the people of this place for several years unlike Banerjee, who comes here only during polls," Adhikari said while inaugurating his election office.

Nandigram Assembly constituency is set for a high-octane battle with Banerjee deciding to contest from the seat against Adhikari. 

Earlier on March 5, the TMC released its list of candidates with Banerjee announcing that she will contest from Nandigram. She had been contesting polls from the Bhawanipore constituency so far.

On March 6, the BJP fielded former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, setting the stage for a high-profile contest from the seat in the state assembly elections. 

Adhikari, a former minister in the Trinamool Congress government, had joined the BJP in December last year. He had earlier said that BJP will defeat TMC by over 50,000 votes from Nandigram.

West Bengal will witness eight-phased Assembly polls beginning March 27, as the tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly will end on May 30 this year. 

(With Agency Inputs)