In a high-energy rally held at the Nandigram bypass ground on Wednesday, Abhishek Banerjee, the All India General Secretary of the Trinamul Congress fervently campaigned for Debangshu Bhattacharya, the party’s candidate for the Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency.
Addressing an enthusiastic crowd, Mr Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leader Suvendu Adhikari, promising retribution for alleged electoral malpractices in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Mr Banerjee predicted a decisive victory for Bhattacharya, asserting that he would win by a margin of at least two lakh votes. His bold prediction was met with loud applause from the audience. He accused Mr Adhikari of rigging the 2021 elections by manipulating electronic voting machines (EVMs) and using central forces to influence the outcome. “25 May is the day to give a worthy answer to the person who won the election by removing four EVMs and rigging the public opinion by using the BJP’s daldas (loyal) central force and the shagred (associate) Election Commission in the 2021 Assembly election,” Mr Banerjee declared.
Mr Banerjee urged the people of Nandigram to ensure their participation in the upcoming election, warning against any attempts to disrupt the voting process. “Some are trying to cause trouble. They will be chased with sticks. Don’t leave anyone out. You have to vote yourself. No one can prevent it,” he emphasized.
Targeting Mr Adhikari, who narrowly won the Nandigram seat in 2021 by a margin of 1,956 votes amid allegations of tampering and power cuts at the counting centre, Mr Banerjee asserted that the people of Nandigram would deliver their verdict in the Lok Sabha elections. “The game that started in 2021 will end on 4 June,” he stated ominously.
Mr Banerjee was also critical of the central government, predicting its downfall. “The term of the Modi government at the Centre is only left for 10 days. It will be known only in the results on 4 June, that the BJP is withdrawing from the Centre,” he claimed.
He accused BJP leaders of attempting to bribe voters, advising the electorate to accept the money but vote for the TMC symbol of “twin flowers.”
Mr Banerjee did not mince words when criticizing Mr Adhikari’s language and actions. “The MLA of Nandigram often uses disrespectful language against Mamata Banerjee. He called Trinamul a sewer. Who is the sewer?” Mr Banerjee questioned.
He also urged the public to hold Adhikari accountable for his lack of progress in the constituency, particularly highlighting issues related to the now-halted 100 days’ work.
Mr Banerjee ended his speech with a cry, reinforcing the TMC’s stronghold in Nandigram and calling for unwavering support for Debangshu Bhattacharya. “The soil of Nandigram is not the soil of BJP dictators. We will not leave even an inch of land here. Our mothers and sisters will win from Tamluk by a margin of two lakh votes,” he concluded amidst cheers.