Congress candidate Milan Pradhan on Thursday resumed campaigning for the Nandigram assembly by-election, a day after he was released from jail on interim bail by the Calcutta High Court. BJP candidate Hansirani Rath also campaigned during the day, as the contest moved into its final phase.
Pradhan used the campaign to focus on local issues and to attack his arrest in a two-decade-old case, which he described as politically motivated. The campaign for the bypoll will end on October 4, voting will be held on October 6, and the counting of votes will take place on October 9.
Accompanied by party workers, Pradhan began his campaign from the local Congress office and walked towards Tenor via the Nandigram bus stand, speaking to residents and shopkeepers on the way. He had also held a car roadshow soon after his release on Wednesday. The high court granted him interim bail till October 20, allowing him to campaign for the by-election.
Speaking to voters, Pradhan said he would raise local issues in the assembly if elected. He said, ‘The people of Nandigram are deprived. Even today, people here drink pond water due to the lack of piped water supply. Nandigram lacks a general college, a technical college, a nursing college and an ITI college. For 20 years, political change has centred around Nandigram, yet the region remains neglected.’
He also questioned the closure of the Jellingham project and the absence of an agri-hub or tourism centre in the area. Pradhan said around 90 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. He dismissed the multi-cornered nature of the contest and claimed the main fight was between the Congress and the BJP.
Pradhan also alleged that his arrest in the old case was politically motivated and asked why others named in the same case had not been arrested. He said, ‘While I was arrested, others named in the same 20-year-old case — former TMC leaders who are now supporting the BJP — are roaming freely. Let the public judge this.’
Rath, the BJP candidate, also hit the campaign trail, travelling as a pillion rider on a motorcycle and accompanied by a convoy of party supporters.
The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Suvendu Adhikari vacated the seat to retain Bhabanipur, which he had also won in the assembly elections held earlier this year. Mamata Banerjee has extended support to the Congress after her party’s candidate withdrew from the contest following a meeting with Adhikari.
With Pradhan back on the campaign trail after getting interim bail and Rath also canvassing for support, the Nandigram by-election has entered its closing stretch ahead of polling on October 6.
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