EC rules out attack on Mamata Banerjee, even as WB CM holds road-show on her wheelchair

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ruled out West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's injury at Nandigram being the result of an attack, thereby denting TMC's claims of the Nandigram incident being part of a conspiracy and not an accident. As per ANI, the ECI ruled out the possibility of it being an attack based on the reports of the poll observers and the Chief Secretary of Bengal, and it has said that details relating to this will be given in due course. On Saturday, the ECI had sought more information on Mamata Banerjee's injury in Nandigram, noting that the details that were provided were sketchy. 

This comes even as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee began her roadshow on a wheelchair on Sunday from Gandhi Murti to Hazra in the poll-bound state. Mamata Banerjee was discharged from SSKM Hospital on Friday after her condition 'improved' following the alleged 'attack' during her visit to Nandigram on Thursday. Mamata Banerjee will address a public rally from a wheelchair at Hazra following the roadshow on Sunday. 

ECI finds Mamata attack report 'sketchy'

A TMC delegation comprising of Derek O'Brien, Saugata Roy, Satabdi Roy, Kakoli Dastidar, Pratima Mondal, and Santanu Sen had reached the EC claiming that the attack on Mamata Banerjee was a 'deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the BJP to take the life of the Chief Minister. The ECI on the other hand found the report submitted by the West Bengal government on the alleged attack 'sketchy'. "The report submitted by the West Bengal government appeared to be quite sketchy and without any details of the incident like how it happened or who could be behind it. We have asked the state administration to furnish more details," an ECI official told PTI. 

On Wednesday, hours after filing her nomination from Nandigram, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had abruptly left her on-ground campaign claiming that she was attacked by 4-5 men during which she sustained a leg injury. Later, state-run SSKM hospital had said that Mamata had suffered 'severe bone injuries' in her left ankle, foot, and right shoulder. While there was no clear video footage of the alleged attack that took place in Birulia Bazar, Mamata was discharged on Friday and was seen being rolled out in a wheelchair. 

West Bengal polls 2021

The West Bengal Assembly with 294 seats will also go to the polls from May 2, 2021. CM Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress holds 222 seats at present. However, BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats out of 42 and establishing itself as the major opposition force in the state. The BJP is using its booth-level strategy and has regularly dispatched its top leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda in the state for winning the upcoming elections, with the Prime Minister also addressing mega-rallies there in recent weeks. The party has also been inducting a number of major TMC leaders on a regular basis and plans to hold at least 1500 rallies and assorted road-shows in total. The Trinamool, meanwhile, has inducted BJP veteran and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha.