The stage is all set for the high-profile battle in the West Bengal assembly polls where friends turned opponents, Mamata and Suvendu are squared up in Nandigram.
On March 10, 2021, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee had filed her nomination from Nandigram seat, while her rival and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari is not lagging behind to show his strength by holding public meeting and rallies in the TMC bastion.
Why all focus is concentrated in Nandigram? And why stakes are so high for Mamata Benerjee and Suvendu Adhikari?
Mamata’s Connection with Nandigram
Actually, this constituency, Nandigram, carries a lot of importance for Mamata because it really ensured her rise to power. It began with the Nandigram agitation back in 2007 with the slogan “Amaar Naam Tomar Naam Singur Bhangur Nandigram Nandigram” Mamata Benerjee came to the spotlight for her protest against the left land acquisition movement in Nandigram.
The Left Front government, led by the then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, had decided to acquire land for a special economic zone (SEZ) for a chemicals-based project. But people did not agree to give their land to the Government. As a result widespread violence broke out with the police force and CPM party cadre attacking the farmers who were not willing to handover their land. This followed the acquisition of land in Singur as well, in Hooghly district across the river from Kolkata. Both projects had to be put on hold. Singur and Nandigram launched Mamata and the TMC into the big league in the years to come.
Mamata’s 26-day hunger strike against the Tatas' Nano project in Singur at that time was a defining moment in Bengal politics. The Tatas withdrew and relocated the plant to Gujarat. This turn actually shaped Mamata to what she is now. Nandigram is the nerve center of Mamata Benerjee’s farmland acquisition against proposed specific economic zone that brought her to power in 2011. It helped her to carve out a pro-farmer image and gave her strong connect with the natives of the region for the massive movement in Nandigram.
Now 10 years later, the tables have turned. If Mamata was the challenger then taking a well trench to the left front, she is the one who is under attack now. She has accepted the challenge and kicked off her campaign in East Midnapore trust deficit with Suvendu’s jump to BJP. On Tuesday, addressing a public meeting prior filing the nomination at Nandigram she said” "I could have taken a ticket from Bhowanipur but I wanted to contest from Nandigram or Singur because this is the land of mass movement where we stood together and fought for justice, this land is known for benevolence. I can forget everyone's name, but not Singur and Nandigram's name". I am not outsider I am the daughter of this land and I will remain the same forever. In every three month I will visit Nandigram and will stay with you all,” she promised to the people of Nandigram.
On the other hand, BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, who once upon a time was a very close aide of Mamata does not want to leave any stone unturned.In an attacking mode he said that Mamata Benerjee is scared. He also said that Mamata’s appeasing politics is going to end soon.
Suvendu connects with the constituency –this is his stronghold, his bastion.
50-year-old Adhikari is a two-term former Lok Sabha MP and two term former MLA.
He won in 2016 from the vary seat with TMC ticket defeating Abdul Kadir Sheik, the joint candidate of the Left Front and Congress alliance. 67 percent of the votes went in his favor .This gives an impression how powerful and influential he is in this area. It is said that he did influence to take up a rally and start a movement in Nandigam against Left land acquisition process. So Mamata’s Nandigram protest in 2007 was his brainchild.
Why Suvendu left TMC and Joined BJP
Suvendu Adhikari was considered close to Mamata and in charge of transport, irrigation and water resources ministries. But he started maintaining distance from her because of the influence that her nephew Abhishek Banerjee wielded in the Party. This irked Adhikari who quit TMC and joined the BJP.
After Joining BJP he has committed himself to defeat Mamata by at least 50 thousand votes in his turf. He also keeps saying that if he could not do it then he will leave politics.
Though Suvendu Adhikari emerges as one of the star face for BJP It will not be an easy fight in this election battle with the fierce fighter Mamata. Nandigram now stands divided between its favorite Mamata didi and Suvendu dada.