While holding a massive rally of the Trinamool Congress on Monday West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee declared that apart from Bhawanipore in Kolkata she would be contesting the coming Assembly election from Nandigram.
Addressing a huge gathering in this East Midnapore township which shot into limelight during the struggle against the land acquisition in 2007 she targeted her former lieutenant, Suvendu Adhikari who switched over to the BJP by alleging that some people want to come clean by getting washed by a washing machine called the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Suvendu was among the leading lights of the TMC in 2007 against the then Left Front government and had been representing Nandigram as TMC MLA.
However, he first resigned from the Mamata cabinet in November last. Then on Dec 19 last he joined the BJP in Nandigram in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah.
Mamata has now given an open challenge to Suvendu in the latter’s home turf.
On the other hand, the BJP on Monday too organised a road-show in South Kolkata in the localities not far away from Mamata’s Bhawanipore constituency. She lives in Bhawanipore.
Apart from West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and Union minister of state, Debasree Chaudhari, Suvendu too was present on the occasion.
At one place clashes took place after some people, alleged to be TMC supporters pelted stones on those taking part in the BJP show.
