Biswabrata Goswami
NANDIGRAM, 29 MARCH: The election campaign in the high-stakes constituency-Nandigram on Monday reached to a high magnitude where Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee conducted a massive roadshow in wheelchair followed by rallies while her former aide Suvendu Adhikari offered a puja in a local temple followed by roadshow and rallies at different places.
Accompanied by senior TMC leaders, Mamata led the 8-km-long roadshow from Reyapara Kshudiram More to Thakurchowk in her wheelchair, greeting people with folded hands.

Hundreds of local people and party activists accompanied her, shouting the slogan of “Mamata Banerjee Zindabad”. During her roadshow, the TMC supremo met the people who came to see her and she talked with many of them.

Later, she held three public rallies at Thakurchowk, Boyal-II and Amdabad High School ground in Nandigram.
The high-voltage elections in Nandigram will be held on 1 April where Mamata will contest against her protégé-turned foe Suvendu Adhikari.

Announcing that she will stay in Nandigram till the end of voting in the seat on Thursday, Mamata addressing an election rally at Thakurchowk said, “Suvendu and his father Sisir Adhikari had no role in the Nandigram movement. If they had any role, then why the Left Front government did not slap cases against the Adhikari family even though everyone associated with the Nandigram agitation faced court cases.”

Referring to her association with the Adhikari family, Mamata claimed she had given “everything to one family”.
She also claimed one of the Adhikari family members “enjoyed 10 posts” in the TMC and added “he is a gaddar (traitor)”.
Slamming Mamata Banerjee for her appeasement of the minority community, Suvendu, on the other hand, said, “The Begum (Mamata Banerjee) used to wish Eid Mubarak so often that she wished Holi Mubarak to all of you today.”
Paying obeisance at a local temple in Nandigram, Suvendu said, “Don’t give vote to Begum. If you vote for Begum, this will become mini Pakistan. Begum knows no one except Sufian.”
Coming down heavily on Mamata, Suvendu said, “Earlier Mamta used to commute in a car. Now she is commuting by a chopper. She used to wear Ajanta shoes now she is wearing branded shoes. She used to wear Rs 700 saree now she wears Rs 6000 saree.”

He further said, “There is no change in Suvendu Adhikari. I have not changed and wear the same what I used to wear in 2004.”
Referring to Union home minister Amit Shah’s criticism of the law and order situation in West Bengal, Mamata retorted, “What is the condition in UP? What is the condition in Hathras?”
Mamata also referred to the death of the elderly mother of a BJP activist, who died on Monday. The woman, Shova Majumdar, was allegedly assaulted by TMC members earlier this month. Her death was condoled by many BJP leaders, including Shah.
Mamata said, “I don’t know how the sister has died. We don’t support violence against women.”