WB elections: Mamata, Amit Shah's rallies, roadshows to intensify Nandigram battle

With the conclusion of the first phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, all eyes are now set on the electoral battle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her protege-turned-foe Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram.

Both the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have deployed their star campaigners in the battle for the high profile contest.

Mamata Banerjee is expected to camp in Nandigram from Sunday intensifying the battle till the campaigning ends on Tuesday evening. Till now, Mamata had visited her own constituency just once.

Meanwhile, the BJP would be bringing in the big names to counter the TMC's top leader.

On Tuesday, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take on Mamata Banerjee as he would be taking out a massive roadshow in the constituency.

Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty too is also expected to conduct a roadshow in Nandigram ahead of polling.

PM Narendra Modi had addressed a public rally for Suvendu Adhikari earlier. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too had come to campaign in the constituency.

With rallies of Mamata planned for each day till the campaign ends, the Adhikari clan too has focussed its energy on ensuring that polling agents remain alert and that panna pramukhs bring out the voters on April 1.

Asked about Mamata's scheduled series of rallies and the composed BJP candidate Suvendu replies, "Let her campaign. In a democracy, it is the right of the candidate. We too are campaigning," said Adhikari.

Adhikaris have been working on a strategy to not let the last leg of campaigning sway the voters towards her.

Sources in the BJP stated that the focus would remain on bringing voters to the polling stations while the candidates would be intensifying campaigning.

"It's all about that one day when polling happens. It is all that matters. So, if Chief Minister campaigns and we do too, voters have largely made up their minds," said a senior BJP leader.

Adhikari, a former TMC leader, joined the BJP ahead of Assembly polls. Adhikari is a sitting MLA from Nandigram, a seat where Mamata Banerjee has decided to contest this time instead of Bhawpur.

Polling in Nandigram constituency will be held in the second phase of the Assembly election on April 1.

( With inputs from ANI )