Suvendu Adhikari affirms 'Nandigram not a challenge' after BJP fields him against Mamata

After being chosen for Nandigram seat to face Mamata Banerjee, ex-TMC MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday, Adhikari bubbled with confidence saying 'Nandigram is t a challenge for me'. Echoing his challenge to Mamata Banerjee, he said that he will defeat her and send her back to Kolkata.  Bengal is set to go to polls in 8 phases - March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26, and April 29 with results to be anunced on May 2.

Suvendu Adhikari to battle Mamata Banerjee for Nandigram seat; BJP confirms 57 candidates

Suvendu: 'Nandigram is easy' 

BJP's Suvendu Adhikari to be fielded against Mamata Banerjee for Nandigram seat: Sources

BJP chooses Suvendu to battle Mamata

BJP Central Election Committee on Saturday,  anunced its candidates for first two phases i.e - 57 candidates. Tho top names fielded include ex-TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, former cricketer Ashoke Dinda and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh. While Adhikari has publically expressed his wish, BJP has officially confirmed it today.

Taking up BJP's challenge, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday, anunced that she will contest only from Nandigram seat in East Midnapore district, and t from Bhowanipore - where Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will contest. While she also hinted that she may contest from Tollygunj, TMC anunced candidate list for 291 seats it will contest on. 291-candidate list includes 50 women, 42 Muslim candidates. TMC will t contest for 3 seats of rth Bengal.

On January 18, Mamata set up Nandigram faceoff by anuncing that she will contest from Nandigram and Bhowanipore in upcoming state polls. ex-Nandigram MLA- who was mastermind of 2007 Nandigram agitation - responded, "I will leave politics if I fail to defeat her by half a lakh votes". After Mamata anunced she will file for mination on March 11, he responded, "We want son of Midnapore, t outsiders".

Suvendu Adhikari welcomes Nandigram face-off with CM Mamata, asserts 'sweets on May 2'

BJP's saffron push

saffron party is gearing for a tough battle in Bengal - aiming to attain more than 200 seats, while t fielding a CM face yet. BJP had already politically divided Bengal into five parts - rth Bengal, Rath Bang (South Western District), Nabadwip, Medinipur and Kolkata, handpicking Shivprakash, Sunil Deodhar, Dushyant Gautam, Bhikubhai Dalsania, Ravindra Raju,  Vid Sonkar, Harish Dwivedi to ta work on booth levels in se regions. With over 65,000 booth committees and 14,000 Shakti Kendra constituted, BJP has appointed five veterans as central observers - with final call to be taken by Amit Shah. 

With BJP chief JP Nadda, Amit Shah, PM Modi holding regular public meetings, roadshows in Bengal, saffron party has also seen an inrush of disgruntled TMC leaders like - Suvendu Adhikari and his two brors, Rajib Banerjee, Jitendra Tiwari, Vaishali Dalmiya, Dinesh Tiwari and many ors. BJP has invited ex-TMC MP Mithun Chakraborty, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly to join PM Modi on st on March 7 at 'Brigade rally' in Kolkata and Chakraborty is set to accept. ex-Team India captain is yet to do so.

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