West Bengal Election 2021: Mamata Banerjee has decided to contest from Nandigram this time (File)
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien today, in a veiled attack at BJP candidate from Bengal's Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari, said "Bengal's daughter (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) will defeat Bengal's traitor from the Assembly seat.
"TMC will win Bengal. Bengal's daughter will defeat Bengal's traitor at his own backyard in Nandigram. Members of tourist gang will continue to do what they do best - try and destroy every institution in India," Mr O'Brien told news agency ANI.
Suvendu Adhikari, a former TMC leader, joined the BJP ahead of Assembly polls. Mr Adhikari is a sitting MLA from Nandigram, from where Mamata Banerjee has decided to contest this time instead of from Bhawanipur.
Polling in Nandigram constituency will be held in the second phase of the assembly election on April 1.
He also lambasted West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on his remark that Ms Banerjee should wear bermuda shorts if she wants to show her plastered leg.
"Women in Bengal will continue to wear sarees any way they want," Mr O'Brien said.
Addressing a rally in Bengal's Purulia on Tuesday, Dilip Ghosh had said: "She (Mamata) wants to show her plastered leg to everyone. Why doesn't she just wear a pair of bermudas?"
The state is witnessing a triangular contest this time with Trinamool Congress, Congress-Left alliance and the BJP in the fray.
Meanwhile, the polling for the first of the eight-phase assembly polls in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday with voters deciding the fate of 191 candidates in 30 constituencies.
All constituencies in Purulia, Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur are voting to decide electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women. The polling will end at 6.30 pm.
As many as 730 coys of central forces, including 92 for Bankura, 169 for Purba Medinipur, 139 for Paschim Medinipur, 186 for Purulia and 144 for Jhargram have been deployed for this phase.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)