West Bengal Elections: Politics Intensifies After Attack On CM Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured during her campaigning in Nandigram, politics in the state has heated up.

The Trinamool on Wednesday blamed political opponents and called the Nandigram incident “a conspiracy for the rousing response she got from the people of Bengal”.

Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien said: “Those responsible for this heinous incident need to be brought to book. It was in such poor taste that within 30 minutes, there were other kinds of statements. We condemn those statements.”

O’Brien’s outburst came on the back of Congress state President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attack on Banerjee, saying: “She is trying to gain sympathy by making excuses on the attack.”

However, Chowdhury’s statements were negated by his own party leader as Abhijit Mukherjee, former MP said in a tweet: “I wish Didi a speedy recovery! Those behind this must not be spared. Didi, You have tough battle to fight ahead and You will surely emerge victorious! My very good wishes for You & again wish you a speedy recovery .”

The BJP too has said that it may be an accident, Nandigram is angry with Mamata Banerjee. She is blaming them for an attack, which as several eyewitnesses accounts suggested was at best an accident. It seems her driver moved the car while she had one of her legs still out of the door.

Banerjee was seen with a plastered leg lying in a Kolkata hospital and it may take few days for her to recover.

The 66-year-old Trinamool supremo told the media on Wednesday, just before being rushed to Kolkata, that she was pushed by four or five people against her car and had the door shut on her in Birulia Anchal. At the time there were no police personnel around her, she said sitting in the front seat of an SUV.

The Chief Minister appeared pale and dishevelled as she pointed to her leg, and said, “See how it is swelling up”.

When asked if she thought it was a planned attack, she said, “Of course it is a conspiracy… there were no policemen around me”. She appeared to be in pain as she complained of chest pain.

She had plans to make a night halt at Nandigram after filing her election papers but had to be rushed back to Kolkata, 130 km away, after the incident.