By IANS,
Kolkata : Amid opposition Trinamool Congress’ claims of having confined him to his constituency, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday held fort in his Jadavpore seat here addressing 10 election meetings.
Bhattacharjee, who has been winning from this constituency in the southern outskirts of the city since 1987, is facing a stiff challenge from former chief secretary Manish Gupta, who is the Trinamool candidate.
Bhattacharjee has been campaigning heavily in Jadavpore ever since the announcement of election dates.
After holding a colourful and impressive road show covering the main thoroughfares of the city Saturday, he chose to address three meetings Sunday morning, followed up with seven others in the evening.
“He is nervous. He is fearing a defeat. So he is not going out of his constituency. We had never seen (former chief minister) Jyoti Basu launch such intensive campaign in his constituency,” said Trinamool leader and former city mayor Subrata Mukherjee.
“This has been a big success for us so far in the campaign,” Mukherjee told IANS.
Voting in the constituency is due April 27.
Ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist sources said Bhattacharjee would not visit north Bengal for canvassing, but instead he is tentatively scheduled to campaign in south Bengal districts – Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, Burdwan, North 24 Pargans and South 24 Parganas.