Mamata Banerjee to contest from Nandigram Assembly

Kolkata: In an open challenge to her once confidante and ex-minister Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that she will contest the upcoming state Assembly elections from the Nandigram seat.

The announcement came at her rally held in Nandigram -the Assembly constituency earlier represented by rebel Trinamool leader Suvendu Adhikari who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bengal last month.

"I will contest from Nandigram. It's lucky for me. Think I won't be able to give much time to Nandigram as I will have to campaign in all 294 seats. You will have to ensure that 'thing' (her victory) and the rest I will take care later," Banerjee told the rally.

The Chief Minister said that she would contest the election from two constituencies, including Bhabanipur in Kolkata, which is her home turf. "I don't want to neglect Bhabanipur also," she added. All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) state president Subrata Bakshi also announced Mamata's name from Nandigram constituency in the coming election that is due by April-May this year.

Nandigram came to the political spotlight in 2007 after 14 villagers were killed in a police firing for protesting against a proposed SEZ project, cleared by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government.