Amit Shah and Suvendu Adhikari today held a massive roadshow in Bengal's Nandigram
In a show of might ahead of the second phase of Bengal elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today held a massive roadshow in Bengal's Nandigram and called upon people to ensure the defeat of Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting the polls from the high-profile constituency.
He stressed that defeating Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram would be a precursor to the much-desired change that Bengal had long been waiting for.
Standing atop a lorry, decked up with flowers and BJP flags, the Union Minister, with Trinamool turncoat and party candidate Suvendu Adhikari by his side, waved at enthusiastic crowd that gathered along the four-km stretch between Bethuria and Reyapara in Bengal's East Midnapore assembly segment.
Amit Shah and Suvendu Adhikari today held a massive roadshow in Bengal's Nandigram
Locals queued up on both sides of the road and watched the procession, which inched its way through the narrow streets amid chants of 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Narendra Modi Zindabad' and 'Amit Shah Zindabad'.
Later, while talking to reporters at BJP party office in Reyapara area, Mr Shah exuded confidence that BJP's Suvendu Adhikari will win the elections from Nandigram by a record margin.
"I bow my head before the people of Nandigram for coming out in support of the BJP. Today, when I came here, I saw jubilant faces everywhere. I want to express my gratitude to the people of Nandigram. Now, I am confident that Suvendu Adhikari will win the polls from Nandigram," he stated.
Amit Shah said that the BJP's victory margin "should be so big that no politician would dare to fool the masses with false promises ever again."
"In Nandigram, we don't just intend to ensure Suvendu Adhikari's victory but also seek to guarantee development. I would like to request the people here to vote for Suvendu in large numbers so that no one in the future dares to play with the sentiments of 'Ma', 'Mati' and 'Manush'."
"By defeating Mamata didi in Nandigram, you can bring about the much-desired change in West Bengal. You defeat her here; the TMC will automatically get defeated in other parts of the state," he said.
Referring to a recent incident of rape in Nandigram, Amit Shah wondered why women are not safe in the state, despite "tall claims" made by Mamata Banerjee.
"It is unfortunate that a woman was raped in Nandigram. She (Mamata) talks big about women's safety. What is the situation here? A woman was raped here, just a few kilometres away from where she has been putting up in the constituency," he said.
Amit Shah slammed the Trinamool government for its "decade-long misrule" in the state and accused Mamata Banerjee of "blocking" central government schemes in the state."
"After forming the government in Bengal, we will work towards restoring the lost pride and culture of the state, taking inspiration from the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo.
"We have to move together to build a better Bengal. We have to work together to make Bengal self-reliant," he said.
In the evening, he left for his next roadshow at Debra constituency in West Midnapore district.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)