Even as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (March 11) issued an appeal from hospital requesting the Trinamool Congress supporters to maintain peace and remain calm reports suggest that tension is mounting up at different places in the state. Strict watch is being kept on Nandigram, where Mamata is taking on her arch-rival, Suvendhu Adhikari, who is likely to file his nomination papers on Friday.
Supporters of both the TMC and Bharatiya Janata Party took to streets in Nandigram and elsewhere in the state making the task of the law enforcing authorities difficult.
Mamata, who is recovering at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, has been advised a rest of one week. A medical bulletin released by the hospital said that her condition is stable.
Earlier, media reports said that she was running temperature and complaint of pain in chest and headache. The left leg (ankle), on which she had suffered injuries in Nandigram on Wednesday afternoon, has been plastered.
Mamata was supposed to release the manifesto of the Trinamool Congress on Thursday, but the programme has been put off. A TMC delegation called on the Election Commission in Kolkata early on Thursday to complain that Mamata was attacked. The BJP, which has called the incident as a drama, also demanded the EC intervention in this regard.
The Election Commission has sought a report by 5:00 PM on Friday.
In Kolkata thousands of TMC supporters gathered outside the SSKM Hospital overnight. They did not allow some BJP leaders like Tathagat Roy to enter the hospital.
Even slogans like “Wapas Jao” were raised when the state governor Jagdeep Dhankhar came to the hospital to see the chief minister.
Meanwhile, Suvendhu Adhikari offered prayer on Thursday on the occasion of Mahashivratri in Nandigram. Election is due here on April 1.
