Two women fighting for justice in the rustic hamlet of Nandigram. One is the BJP candidate Hasirani Rath and the other is wife of Congress candidate Arpita Pradhan. Rath is trying to evoke voter sympathy over her slain son Chandranath Rath who shot dead two days after Assembly election results. Chandranath was West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s PA. The state Congress has moved Calcutta High Court over discrepancies in Rath’s affidavit papers while filing her nomination for Nandigram, which states that she is above 60 years of age and passed her class 10 in 1965.
Meanwhile, after the HC said that Nandigram Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has to stay behind bars until after the assembly bypolls on October 6, his wife Arpita is seeking justice from voters of Nandigram. Arpita will campaign on Friday. Milan was arrested last week in five cases and another case was slept against him in a local court in East Midnapore district on Wednesday.
“I have faith in the law. The law never goes on the wrong path. I appeal to the people of Nandigram to prove what is right, because the entire household is dependent on him. My daughter’s studies are hampered because he is in jail in this false case. I appeal to the people of Nandigram to stand by him,” said Arpita Pradhan.
Arpita also questioned why he was not arrested all these days when he was roaming freely. “He will be in jail and contest. Vote for him in favour of the truth. Yes he is the Congress worker but he is the son of Nandigram,” said Arpita.
Congress West Bengal observer Prakash Joshi questioned why cases against people pertaining to the Nandigram anti-land acquisition protests in 2007 were not withdrawn. Adhikari was also on ground along with Milan and others fighting against forcefully taking away land of the poor
“It is true in 2007 Suvendu, Milan Pradhan and others who led the Nandigram protest and were charged with false cases,” said Congress West Bengal observer Prakash Joshi.
Joshi went on to question why cases against Adhikari were withdrawn but not against others? “There are many people who still have cases against them despite the government saying they are taking cases back. The legal process continued. Similarly Milan Pradhan thought the government had withdrawn the cases,” added Joshi.
Arpita questioned the timing of her husband’s arrest soon after being made the Congress candidate. “He has been campaigning, he has been here during the pujas. We even went on a holiday three months ago. They didn’t arrest him then, why did they arrest him now. Just because he is a Congress candidate?” questioned Arpita.
Rath meanwhile has been a Panchayat member three times and does not lack political experience. There is also the support of Adhikari apart from the emotive aspect of her slain son. BJP won the Nandigram seat twice, both times by Adhikari. Beyond BJP’s strength in this hamlet, the Nandigram bypolls are a litmus test of the might of the opposition of Congress and MAITC to hold ground in the face of the saffron wave.
