West Bengal Elections 2021: Mamata files nomination following ‘Outsider’ hoardings in Nandigram

Suvendu alleged that the chit fund scam took place in West Bengal because the TMC government “looted public money”. He continued his attack on Mamata by branding her as an “Outsider”.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed her nomination from the Nandigram seat on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.

Mamata decided to contest from Nandigram after the BJP decided to field her former protégé Suvendu Adhikari, setting up a high octane contest in the upcoming West Bengal elections. Suvendu left TMC to join BJP last year. The BJP is planning a star-studded lineup to accompany Suvendu when he files his nominations from the seat on Friday. Suvendu had earlier claimed that Mamata would lose by 50,000 votes in Nandigram.

Suvendu alleged that the chit fund scam took place in West Bengal because the TMC government “looted public money”. He continued his attack on Mamata by branding her as an “Outsider”.

“Mamata is an outsider in Nandigram. She does not even cast her vote here. I am not only the son of the soil of Nandigram but also a regular voter of the area,” Suvendu claimed, adding that he has been the people of Nandigram unlike Mamata, “who only comes here during polls”.

Hours before Mamata filed her nomination, there were reports that hoardings were raised near the area where she was staying during her campaign in Nandigram which implied to her as an outsider. “Nandigram, Midnapore wants its own son and not outsider”. With Suvendu claiming he is the son of Nandigram, it implies that Mamata is the outsider.

“Some people are calling me an outsider. I was born and raised in the neighbouring Birbhum district. Today, I am an outsider and those coming from Gujarat are now insiders,” she asked.

During her poll campaign in Nandigram, Mamata recited the Chandi path mantras. However, Suvendu said that Mamata recited it wrongly and was all over the place. He played a recording of the chants and compared it to Mamata’s version. “Her Chandi-path was all over the place and mantras were wrong. Yogi Adityanath can chant the correct mantras,” he said, adding that he wants Adithyanath to come to West Bengal and correct her chants.

The fight in Nandigram is intensifying with Mamata warning the BJP to not play the ‘Hindu’ card with her. “You cannot teach me Hinduism. I have shown you that I know the mantras to Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali and Durga. It is not how you do it, memorising some lines before the election and dropping them at meetings,” she said, adding that those “bowing in front of outsiders” are insulting the Nandigram movement by playing the communal card.