Hummingbird News Desk
NANDIGRAM, 27 MARCH: An audio clip with an alleged conversation between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Nandigram has created a political flutter in West Bengal political circles, giving new dimension to the electoral contest.
In an audio clip that was made public by the State BJP leadership, the CM is allegedly heard requesting local BJP leader Pralay Pal to help her out in the Nandigram polls. Ms. Banerjee is contesting against the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram Assembly seat that goes to polls on 1 April.
Soon after the audio-clip went viral, Hummingbird News talked with many leaders of different political parties who mainly focus that CM has lost her confidence of winning the poll.
A CPI-M leader said, “In the last 10 years, Mamata has made false promises before the people and it cannot face people with their rampant corruption. The desperate attempt to call a BJP leader exposes only that Mamata has lost her base in Bengal.”
Suvendu Adhikari who has been pitted against Mamata from Nandigram has called the conversation a reflection of the TMC’s political bankruptcy.
Ratan Jana, a local resident of Nandigram said, “I was confused who will win the poll from Nandigram. But, Mamata’s conversation with the BJP leader has made me clear that she perhaps would not be able to defeat Suvendu.”
In the audio-clip, it is allegedly heard – “You are young person and do a lot of work, I know… Please help us out this time.”
In the audio-clip, when the local leader alleges that he was harassed by the Trinamul Congress (TMC), Mamata allegedly says, “Your local leader did not allow me to enter Nandigram. Earlier, I was also not involved but today I am taking a stock of everything that is why this call.”
Ms. Banerjee is purportedly referring to Suvendu Adhikari as the local leader who defected to BJP in December 2020.
Pal bravely told the CM that he would not betray the BJP.
There was no denial from the TMC that the voice in the audio clip was not that of Mamata Banerjee. Senior Trinamul Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee held a press conference and said that there was nothing wrong in the CM speaking to a former party worker. Pal was a TMC activist who joined BJP a few months ago.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also spoke on similar lines, saying it was a “courtesy phone call” and it was unfortunate that the call had been made public.
