Wheelchair-bound Mamata Banerjee to hold roadshow today; TMC defers poll manifesto launch

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will conduct a roadshow on a wheelchair on Sunday from Gandhi Murti to Hazra in poll-bound West Bengal, as per ANI. Mamata Banerjee was discharged from SSKM Hospital on Friday after her condition 'improved' following the 'attack' during her visit to Nandigram on Thursday. As per ANI, CM Mamata Banerjee will address a public rally from a wheelchair at Hazra following the roadshow on Sunday. 

TMC postpones manifesto launch

Trinamool Congress has once again postponed the launch of its manifesto for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Earlier, Trinamool Congress (TMC) had announced that it was set to release its manifesto on March 14. The new date for the release of the manifesto will be announced later, as per ANI. 

ECI finds attack report 'sketchy'

On Wednesday, hours after filing her nomination from Nandigram, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 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 yesterday and was seen being rolled out in a wheelchair.

Meanwhile, amid this, a TMC delegation comprising of Derek O'Brien, Saugata Roy, Satabdi Roy, Kakoli Dastidar, Pratima Mondal, and Santanu Sen 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. 

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. 

Image credits: @AITCofficial / Twitter