Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait to hold meeting in West Bengal’s Nandigram

Kolkata: Amid tense electoral battle between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the former leading with chief minister Mamata Banarjee and the latter with Suvendu Adhikari, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait is all set to hold a ‘mahapanchayat’ at Nandigram.

“I will travel across West Bengal and appeal to people to not vote for BJP,” Tikait told reporters en route Nandigram.

He was received in Kolkata by TMC MP Dola Sen today, NDTV reported. He also met a few TMC leaders at Kolkata’s Mayo road.

The leader had earlier on Saturday  attended a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ in Kolkata and made an appeak to people to vote against BJP in the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.

Nandigram is touted to be important as Banarjee will take over her former aide Adhikari, who fled from TMC to BJP last year. His exit triggered an exodus of leaders from the party.

The seat also played host to the anti-farm land acquisition movement which propelled Banerjee to power in 2011.

‘No Vote to BJP’ picking up in poll-bound states

Members of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers’ unions protesting against the new agriculture laws, are touring the poll-bound states to campaign against BJP. The farmers’ body also issued an appeal titled “No vote to BJP” on Friday.