Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday embarked on a much-awaited roadshow in Nandigram constituency in West Bengal. Nandigram is arguably the most-watched constituency in the West Bengal Assembly polls as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting from there against her former aide, Suvendu Adhikari, who shifted to the BJP late last year.
Shah's roadshow has been projected as a symbol of the BJP's commitment to Adhikari's candidature. After Nandigram, Shah will hold roadshows in Debra and Panskura Paschim. Shah's programme will conclude with a public meeting at Diamond Harbour, which is scheduled to start at 4.40pm on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee, who had announced she would stay in Nandigram till the day of polling, held a padyatra in the constituency on Tuesday.
In a brief speech, Mamata declared her commitment to Nandigram. "I could have contested from any other constituency, but I have chosen Nandigram to pay my respect to the mothers and sisters of this place. To salute the Nandigram movement, I chose Nandigram over Singur," Mamata was quoted as saying by ANI. Agitations against the erstwhile CPI(M) government's land acquisition plans in Nandigram and Singur in 2007-08 paved the way for the TMC to come to power in 2011.
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"Remember, if I have entered Nandigram once, I will not leave. Nandigram is my place; I will stay here," Mamata added.
Mamata implored her supporters to "bury Bharatiya Janata Party politically and bowl them out from Nandigram and West Bengal".
Nandigram will vote in the second phase of polls on April 1.
