Kolkata/Nandigram: What makes Trinamool Congress supremo, Didi, nervous about Nandigram?
“It is the fear of the demon that is inside her mind,” says Amit Malviya of BJP commenting on gross minority appeasement politics of Mamata Banerjee during the last ten years and now the Trinanool Congress chief falling back on temple run or displaying her Hindu antecedent.
The BJP reactions came close on the heels Mamata Banerjee threw up a challenge to the saffron party leaders for debate with her Hinduism and competitions on reciting various Mantras.
Of course, finally, she has to play up her Hindu and ‘Banerjee surname’ cards.
“Ami o Hindu gharer meye (I was also born into a Hindu family),” said Mamata on Tuesday, March 9, during her visit to high profile Nandigram constituency, where the Chief Minister is now set to take on BJP nominee Suvendu Adhikari.
“Do not play Hindu card with me….first you have to tell whether you are a good Hindu,” said she making it clear that the Trinamool supremo realises that her blatant Muslim-appeasement card too has a limitation. And that she would need Hindu votes to win Nandigram and also to retain power in West Bengal.
Mamata recited Chandipath also performed puja at a local temple at Nandigram perhaps forgetting that her party has often criticised BJP leaders for their temple visit.
“Finally, this is a good realisation (on the part of Mamata),” caustically remarked Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell chief.
“Politics of Mamata Banerjee has run its course, she realises it (the adverse fallout of minority appeasement). But that is too late now,” Malviya said.
In fact, on-ground assessment at Nandigram suggests there are multiple factors that are apparently going against Mamata Banerjee’s candidature in the politically sensitive constituency.
The Chief Minister had deputed senior colleagues Subrata Mukherjee, Dola Sen and Subrata Bakshi to make a spot visit and assess the ground situation.
Reportedly, Subrata Mukherjee, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, has submitted a report identifying some factors that could lead to major embarrassment for the state Chief Minister, who had ousted the Marxists in a historic battle in 2011.
Sources said infighting among Trinamool rank and file in Nandigram, demoralised workforce after Suvendu Adhikari’s exit and allegation of corruption at the local level are a few such factors.
The Trinamool camp is also worried as a promise of jobs made to Nandigram natives in 2011 and 2016 by Mamata Banerjee has not been fulfilled.
On the day, the BJP decided to field him against Mamata Banerjee at Nandigram, her onetime lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari sought to remind the voters of Nandigram and other constituencies that it was the Chief Minister who had denied Durga puja and Saraswati Puja celebrations to Hindu devotees.
“Do not you all remember that it was she who had prevented Goddess Durja immersion? It was she who stopped Saraswati Puja in Uluberia….Mone achhey toh (Don’t you all remember)?,” the renowned mass-level leader from Nandigram region, Suvendu, had said.
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