WB CM Mamata dares BJP to play 'Hindu' card against her

Nandigram:West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday dared the BJP to play 'Hindu' card.

Addressing an election rally here, Ms Banerjee said, “BJP is playing with religion; how dare they call me an outsider.”“BJP is dividing Bengal. They are calling me an outsider. If I am an outsider, how did I become the Chief Minister? Nandigram is dear to me. It withstood bullets and bombs,” the TMC supremo said.

She said, "Divisive politics won't work in Nandigram."“I have decided to fight from Nandigram due to people's response,” Ms Banerjee said.She urged voters to not give in to threats or vote in exchange for money, adding that the game will play out on 1 April

The TMC supremo said, “Game will be on in Nandigram on April 1. Make BJP an “April fool”

that day. Don’t give in to threats and don’t vote in exchange of money. Have faith, TMC will

emerge victorious.”

Stating that BJP is “playing with religion”, the chief minister recites ‘Durga saptashati’ mantras on stage.The TMC supremo said she never deserted Nandigram and accuses BJP of 'divide and rule'.

"I can forget my own name, won't forget Nandigram," she reportedly said.“There was no one fighting for the people of Nandigram, except me; I was tortured, yet stood my ground,” Ms Banerjee said.

"Those calling me outsider in Nandigram are outsiders themselves," she said.The chief minister listed several development projects for the region, including the construction of a bridge connecting Nandigram with Haldia.

Ms Banerjee vowed to make Nandigram a model for the whole region and added that a university will be built in Nandigram and the same will be mentioned in TMC's election manifesto.

This will be Ms Banerjee's first visit to Nandigram after she announced her candidature for the Nandigram seat, dominated by the peasants, who fought against the Communist government's acquisition of land for special economic zone in 2007, leading to their downfall four years later in 2011 assembly poll.

Nandigram, in East Medinipur and Singur in the Hooghly district often referred by the politicians as the Waterloo of the then Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government, has added a new dimension in Indian politics since Ms Banjeree's decision to shift her candidature here from Bhowanipur in south Kolkata.

Her ministerial colleague now turned a bitterest critic Suvendu Adhikari dared her to contest from his constituency, which he had won by over 80,000 votes in the 2016 assembly election.

BJP agreed to his demand and put him to fight his former leader Ms Banerjee in the 2nd phase poll to be held on April 1.While Ms Banerjee held only one rally before her announcing candidature, Mr Adhikari, a resident of Contai or Kathi has been electing the entire district, a place even the British India feared.

However, Ms Banerjee's poll managers Purnendu Bose and Dola Sen recently visit edand made an initial survey to draw the battle line.(UNI)