Despite sporadic violence and accusations of vote fraud in Nandigram, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said she was confident of victory from the constituency where she had a one-and-half decade ago led a farmers' movement against a chemical hub planned by the then Left front Government.

The chief minister, however, said she is worried about the fate of democracy given the use of money and muscle power.

"I am not worried about Nandigram, I am confident of victory.(But) I am worried about democracy," Banerjee said as she showed the 'V' for victory sign to a gaggle of press photographers.

The feisty TMC boss said she would win a majority of the 60 seats that had gone to polls in the first and second phase. Banerjee is battling her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari, who has crossed over to the BJP for the prestigious Nandigram constituency.

The chief minister said the home minister Amit Shah who had earlier campaigned for Adhikari, should "control the BJP goons" and alleged Shah "was instructing central forces." "This is shameful. The people will give them a befitting reply. The way even women journalists have been heckled is disgraceful," she said. Banerjee also slammed the Election Commission for "inaction" despite her party lodging several poll-related complaints and threatened to move the law courts over it.

"We have lodged 63 complaints since morning. But no action has been taken. We will move the court over it. This is unacceptable," the chief minister said sitting in a wheelchair outside booth 7 in Boyal in Nandigram. "The EC is working on the instructions of Amit Shah," she alleged."Goons from other states are creating ruckus here," she added.

The TMC chief has been complaining for long alleging that her rivals have brought in goons from other states to intimidate voters. "We have lodged 63 complaints since morning. But no action has been taken. We will move the court over it," the chief minister said.

Later, EC officials rushed to the spot and spoke to her and a police force was called in as she left the booth to tour other areas from where her partymen had complained of problems. The TMC leadership, which has sought re-polling in booth number 7 at Boyal, also claimed that party activists were beaten up by BJP supporters. Adhikari denied the allegations levelled by the TMC.

Adhikari claimed Banerjee is insulting the voters of Nandigram. "It has become her habit to insult people of Nandigram. Earlier, she was injured in an accident, she blamed the locals. The people of Nandigram will not forget this insult," he said.

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Apr 1, 2021 8:34 PM IST