Veterans bolt in last lap to snap up a win

Sujan Chakraborty
Hours before campaigning for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections ended,CPM candidate from Jadavpur hit the streets with his motley group of supporters that included filmmakers and sports personalities. Flanked by CPM heavyweight Biman Bose,actors Arindam Sil and Badshah Moitra,Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya,filmmaker Raja Sen,Forward Bloc leader Khsiti Goswami and footballer Prasanta Chakraborty,Sujan,who is pitted against Trinamool’s Kabir Suman,started a rally from Jadavpur 8B bus stop to Garia. “I started a rally at 8:30 am and walked around my constituency. I visited places in Tollygunge Assembly constituency,where I did held individual meetings,” said Chakraborty,who is the sitting MP from Jadavpur.

Kabir Suman
Unlike Chakraborty,the singer in the fray for Jadavpur kept to a low-wattage campaign. Kicking off his campaign for the day with a few meetings at Haltu,Kabir toured Garia and a few pockets in Baruipur area. A day before,Kabir pitched in for Pranab Mukherjee and Tapas Pal.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay
Into campaigning for over a month now,the Trinamool’s man in Kolkata North started the last day of campaigning with paying a visit to Kali temple at Thantania along with wife Nayana around 7 am for morning prayers after which the couple headed straight to Belgachia mosque. Kolkata North has 16 per cent Muslim voters.

Bandyopadhyay spent two hours in the Kelabagan area,which has a pre-dominant minority community population.

“I consciously went to these areas to interact with the people. I began my day at a temple and ended it at a mosque,” he said. Finally at home in the evening,Bandyopadhyay said,“I took some rest and soon I will begin work with party members in my house.”

Md Salim
The CPM veteran in fray from Kolkata North campaigned non-stop for 10 hours on Monday,the last day of campaigning for the constituency. “We tried and covered most of the areas today,” a close aide said. Salim began the day at 7 am with a visit to Chitpur. He then toured places like Ultadanga,Sinthi,Paikpara,Entally and Sealdah before ending the trail with a road show at Pathuriaghata. Giving him company were Left veterans like Sudhangsu Seal,a former MP from Kolkata North West and Tourism Minister Manabendra Mukherjee. Near New market,he was joined by Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Politburo member Brinda Karat. After a brief rest between 5 and 7:30 pm,he began interacting with party workers at his home.

Amitava Nandi
On the last day of campaigning,the CPM candidate from Dum Dum Amitava Nandi hit the road for a whirlwind tour of all the seven Assembly constituencies in a matter of seven hours,using any available modes of transport like rickshaws,boats,vans and carts.