After trailing in the initial rounds, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is now leading in the Nandigram constituency where she is contesting against her once close aide Suvendu Adhikary. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Adhikari is trailing behind Banerjee by 3,327 votes. It is a prestige fight for both Banerjee and Adhikari. Overall, Trinamool Congress is leading in 202 seats and the BJP in 86 seats.
In 2011, Suvendu Adhikari was Banerjee’s close aide when she campaigned for land rights of farmers. He later won from Nandigram constituency. Adhikari’s switch to the BJP has thus been a significant event ahead of the Assembly elections in Bengal. After him, many others switched from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP. Mamata Banerjee deciding to contest from Nandigram has therefore been extremely significant.
Adhikari has vowed to quit politics if he doesn’t defeat Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram by 50,000 votes. While campaigning in Nandigram, Banerjee suffered a leg injury on March 10, after which she campaigned across West Bengal in a wheelchair.
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