Bengal polls: CM Mamata Banerjee to hold roadshow on wheelchair in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will conduct a roadshow, days after sustaining injuries during election campaigning, on a wheelchair from Gandhi Murti to Hazra here on Sunday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) party sources said. She will address a public rally at Hazra this afternoon. It will be her first public appearance after she was allegedly attacked by some people in Nandigram earlier this week.

On March 10, the Chief Minister, who was on a two-day visit to Nandigram from where she filed her nomination, alleged that she was pushed by a few unidentified people during her election campaigning. Later, she was brought to Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital by road from Nandigram.

Banerjee sustained “severe bone injuries” on her left foot and ankle as well as bruises and injuries on her shoulder, forearm and neck, according to the report of her initial medical examination.

The Chief Minister was discharged from the hospital on March 12.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has responded well to the treatment. The six-member board has re-examined her health condition. We have opened the plaster cast. Fresh plaster has been applied. She has been discharged with appropriate instructions, after her repeated requests. She has been advised to revisit after seven days,” the medical board of the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata told reporters.

On Friday, a delegation of six MPs of Trinamool Congress (TMC) met the Election Commission officials in the national capital to raise their concern over the Nandigram incident. “The events/actions leading up to the attempt on her life, leave no doubt that the attack was premeditated and part of a deep-rooted conspiracy,” read a letter by the TMC to the Election Commission.

A BJP delegation also met the Election Commission of India and demanded an impartial probe into an alleged attack on Mamata Banerjee.

Commenting on the incident, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused Mamata Banerjee of resorting to ‘nautanki’ (theatrics), “This is ‘siyasi pakhand’ (hypocrisy) to gain sympathy. Before polls, she (Mamata Banerjee) planned this ‘nautanki’ after sensing difficulties in Nandigram,” Chowdhury had said.

West Bengal is likely to witness a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left alliance and the BJP in the fray.

Elections to 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. 

(With ANI inputs)