Kolkata:Nandigram is the most talked-about assembly constituency this year. Following this, rumours are going on who would be the candidates for ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP.
Although speculations were strong that Suvendu Adhikari will BJP’s candidate from Nandigram, there had been no official confirmation from the saffron camp on this count so far. Meanwhile, the political pitch in Nandigram went higher with the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee herself expressing her desire to contest from Nandigram to set a tough challenge for Adhikari.
Even after Mamata Banerjee’s public announcement on this count, there was no definite reply either from Adhikari or from BJP.
There is no official confirmation. But in probability BJP will field the “son of the turf”, Adhikari from Nandigram in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, as the desire expressed by the BJP’s national general secretary, Shiv Prakash to his confidants within the party.
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The strategy is clear— Adhikari, who prepared the ground in Nandigram to oust the Left Front rule and pave the way for Mamata Banerjee to become the chief minister, will now prepare grounds for the end of the Trinamool Congress regime.
However, with the poll dates being announced on Friday, the very next day the saffron camp titillated the speculation on their probable candidate from Nandigram.
BJP sources said that Shiv Prakash wants to field heavyweight candidates both for Bhabanipur in Kolkata and Nandigram in Kolkata, wherefrom the chief minister might contest. Already Adhikari’s name has been shortlisted for Nandigram and sent to New Delhi for final confirmation from the BJP high- command.
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According to BJP's state vice-president, Pratap Bandopadhyay, the state committee of BJP can only send recommendations.
“The final decision will be taken by the party high command. But we all want Adhikari to contest from Nandigram,” he said.
And there are reasons why BJP’s state committee is favouring Adhikari as the party candidate from Nandigram. When Adhikari was with Trinamool, Mamata Banerjee gave the entire responsibility of East Midnapore to him.
At the same time, Adhikari was made the observer for many other districts. But slowly, the distance between the party and Adhikari started increasing and he joined BJP. Political analysts believe that BJP has no other choice right now but to depend on Adhikari since BJP is yet projected any ministerial face.
In fact, BJP leadership ridiculed the chief minister when she expressed her desire to contest from Nandigram, BJP leadership said that since the chief minister is sacred she wants to contest from both Bhavanipur and Nandigram since if she gets defeated from one constituency, the other constituency will ensure her entry to the assembly.
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So BJP is treading cautiously and Adhikari himself is projecting himself as the “son of the turf.” It is a fact that Suvendu's influence in the East Midnapore district is unquestionable. Hence, BJP is trying to project him as the trump card.
Trinamool is yet to announce its candidate list. In 2016, Adhikari was the Trinamool candidate. So if he is the BJP candidate this time, Trinamool will be under pressure to field a really heavyweight candidate. If the chief minister herself contests from Nandigram, then it will be really a tough fight for both sides.
