It’s final now. West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will face her former aide Suvendu Adhikari in the battle for Nandigram Assembly constituency for the 2021 state elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced names of 57 candidates — for the first phase of elections in Bengal for March 29 and April 1.
While Mamata Banerjee had announced the party’s 291 candidates’ list yesterday, and made it clear she will contest from Nandigram, the BJP announced Suvendu Adhikary’s name as the party’s candidate from the same seat, one of the 57 candidates in its first list announced from New Delhi today.
Adhikary, who had quit Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP in December 2020, will face his former party chief in this highly charged electoral battle that will decide who forms the next state government in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress has ruled the state for two consecutive terms – winning the Assembly polls in 2011 and 2016.
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The BJP’s list has been given the stamp of approval by the top three leaders of the BJP – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the party’s national president JP Nadda. Banerjee has already announced she would be candidate from Nandigram – she had said this at a public meeting in Nandigram itself in January. The Trinamool has announced candidates for 291 seats (three seats kept for ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) on Friday, and it is clear that the chief minister is not contesting from her seat, Bhawanipore this time.
Nandigram has been the centre of Trinamool Congress’ rise to power in West Bengal. In the area of East Midnapore district, a farmers’ movement against development of a special economic zone in 2007 – backed by the Trinamool Congress with leaders Mamata Banerjee and her aide Suvendu Adhikary – gradually won hearts and helped the Trinamool wrest power from the 34-years-old Left Front government in Bengal around 2006-07. In 2007, 14 persons had died in clashes between farmers and police in the area. Adhikari represented the constituency, and says he has nurtured the area over the past decade and more.
After Banerjee announced she would contest from Nandigram this time, Adhikary said that if he does not defeat her, he would quit politics.
Did Nandigram vote Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress or do they more favour the individual Suvendu Adhikary no matter which political party he represents? The fight in Nandigram 2021 will surely indicate this.
State elections are scheduled in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry from March 27 to April 29. The results will be announced on May 2.
