About 150 kilometres from Kolkata, Nandigram in West Bengal’s East Medinipur district is witnessing the biggest battle of the state assembly elections. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, 66, is contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram, where voting started at 7am on Thursday. The administration has imposed section 144 in the constituency to stop any untoward incident.

Suvendu, once Banerjee’s protégé, left Trinamool Congress and joined Bharatiya Janata Party in December. The constituency is key to both, BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC).

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Nandigram changed West Bengal’s politics 14 years ago and uprooted the 34-year-old Left Front government. A futile bid by the Left to acquire farmland for a chemical hub in the state helped TMC’s Mamata Banerjee become CM of the state in 2011.

Suvendhu won Nandigram in 2016 on Trinamool ticket and believes that the constituency has been loyal to the party only because of his family. His father and brothers have also joined the BJP.

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Till 2009, the seat was held by the Left Front with the only exception being the 1977 polls when the Janata Party emerged victorious. Suvendhu Adhikari secured 67% votes in Nandigram as TMC candidate in the 2016 assembly election.

Banerjee, who spent the last few days of campaign doing roadshows — from a wheelchair — in the constituency, did not let go of a single opportunity to attack Adhikari, calling him traitor, ‘gaddar’ and ‘cheat’.

The phase 2 in West Bengal will be held in 30 constituencies, including Nandigram. In the first phase on March 27, West Bengal recorded 84.3% voter turnout.