Kolkata: West Bengal is all set for a power-packed political battle as two senior leaders of Trinamool Congress and BJP hold massive rallies in each other’s bastions. While TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee will hold a public meeting at East Medinipur’s Kanthi, which is known to be a stronghold of opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP leader will be taking his might to Banerjee’s Diamond Harbour.
Ahead of the panchayat elections, dates for which have not yet been notified, the ruling TMC has released a video in which Abhishek is heard challenging Adhikari – “Come if you have the guts. I am going to challenge you in your area, your locality.”
There has been no love lost between the two leaders and they have been pitched as arch rivals. Even when Adhikari was in the TMC, he was known to be “anti-Abhishek” and party insiders said when Abhishek gained more prominence after 2014, it was unacceptable for Adhikari and could essentially be the reason why he left the party to join the BJP. Once safely ensconced in the saffron party, Adhikari made Abhishek his hit target while making political statements in public, they added.
Abhishek, too, has publicly called Adhikari a ‘gaddar’, or betrayer. Political analysts said since both the leaders passionately opposed each other, their public rallies will be interesting.
