KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today filed her nomination papers from the Nandigram constituency. The constituency is set to witness a high-profile battle, as Banerjee will be facing her former close aide-turned-bete noire, Suvendu Adhikari who will be contesting the election on a BJP ticket.
Banerjee will be contesting from the Nandigram constituency for the first time after giving up the Bhowanipore constituency in Kolkata, from where she had won twice.
Banerjee was accompanied by party president Subrata Bakshi, while she filed her nomination papers at the Haldia sub-divisional office, after taking part in a 2-km roadshow.
It needs to be mentioned here that the TMC chief will be releasing the party manifesto in Kalighat tomorrow.
With just a few weeks away from the assembly elections, both the BJP and TMC have upped its ante against each other. Earlier on Tuesday Banerjee slammed the BJP for attempting to play divisive politics based on religion. While the BJP claimed her as an "outsider", Banerjee countered by asserting that she is a 'hindu', and no one has the right to question her identity. She also added that she does not believe in dividing communities on religious lines. She later recited mantras from the Chandipath to back her statement.
Coming down heavily on the saffron party Banerjee stated those calling her an outsider in Nandigram are outsiders themselves. Taking a dig at Adhikari, she said those calling her an outsider in Nandigram, for these people, those "coming from Gujarat" are insiders.
Meanwhile, taking a jibe at Banerjee, Adhikari accused her of chanting the wrong mantra. Adhikari would be filing his nomination papers on March 12. He has vowed to defeat Banerjee with over 50,000 votes in the Assembly polls. Adhikari who has quit TMC has joined BJP last year.
As the fight is soaring between the two parties, posters in Nandigram is becoming the talk of the town. While the BJP's posters say that Nandigram wants its own Bhoomiputra Suvendu Adhikari, TMC's posters with cutouts of Mamata Banerjee say that Bengal wants its own daughter.
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