Mamata Banerjee wins Nandigram
It has been a close fight between Banerjee and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee won the Nandigram constituency, beating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Suvendu Adhikari. After the news of her win reached her, Banerjee was seen coming out of her house and getting into the party office adjoining her house.
Adhikari, former aide of Mamata Banerjee, quit the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP and challenged her saying he would quit politics if he did not defeat her by 50,000 votes. Trinamool Congress had a sweeping win in Bengal, leading in 203 seats. BJP is leading in 85 seats now. The final results are yet to come for most seats.
The counting for Nandigram has been full of ups and downs. Mamata Banerjee was trailing initially, followed by a lead against Adhikari. Then she was trailing again, at one point leading by only six votes. It has been a prestige fight for both Banerjee and Adhikari.
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.
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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