Kolkata: Politicians across party lines made a beeline to make the most of the last Sunday of campaigning before the second phase of polling. While several started early to finish by 11 am, some braved the heat even after 12 noon.Though the scorching sun was missing in morning, there was extreme discomfort throughout the day. Candidates, irrespective of party affiliation, started early to cover the maximum area while interacting with voters. Most were seen wearing light-coloured cotton clothes to avoid discomfort.Chief minister Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool campaign, addressing four public meetings and one ‘padayatra’, all in her home constituency Bhowanipore. She remained on the move through Sunday evening. Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee addressed three back-to-back rallies in East Burdwan and South 24 Parganas. Ghatal MP and actor Dev joined several roadshows in North 24 Parganas, while actor Subhashree campaigned in Barrackpore for TMC candidate and her husband, director Raj Chakraborty.The BJP campaign was spearheaded by PM Narendra Modi, who addressed two rallies, while Union home minister Amit Shah held rallies and joined roadshows deep into the evening. BJP president Nitin Nabin also attended campaign events, including a Salt Lake roadshow.In Beleghata, Trinamool candidate Kunal Ghosh held a colourful rally marked by white and blue balloons and Dhamsa-Madol performances along Raja Dinendra Street, Vivekananda Road, Rajendralal Street and Canal West Road. He greeted voters and interacted with residents during the march. “Today I am campaigning in my home constituency. Though I am busy in my own assembly constituency, I can say that the people of Bengal want Mamata Di again, and the wave is indicating the same message. The development people have seen during Mamata Banerjee’s regime, and the BJP’s agency politics and deletion of citizens’ names in the name of SIR in Bengal, will not be accepted. Every minute and every second, the wave in support of Mamata Banerjee has been increasing. I need not put in extra effort for this election as I already have a strong connection with the people of this constituency, and I know they will vote for the TMC,” he said.Trinamool candidate Bratya Basu began his South Dum Dum campaign at 8 am, covering Kalindi and nearby areas. Nayna Bandyopadhyay, TMC candidate in Chowringhee, visited Baithakkhana Bazar, interacting with fish sellers and buyers early in the morning.BJP opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is fighting from Bhawanipore assembly constituency, began his morning campaign at Potua Para, where he offered puja at a temple. He met locals, conducted a door-to-door campaign and spoke to residents. In the evening, he carried out another door-to-door campaign at Sadar Street, where he campaigned with a replica of an EVM machine to show voters which button to press for his victory. Rakesh Singh, the BJP candidate from Kolkata Port, held a roadshow from Mudiali, Bandhanbartalla, Fateh More to Albester More.State minister Sashi Panja opted for door-to-door meetings in apartment clusters and residential pockets, focusing on Bagbazar and adjoining areas. Her schedule, however, was disrupted by the PM’s roadshow route. “There were pockets left to be covered, areas where I wanted to reach out on foot rather than from a vehicle. Bagbazar was my focus area today. But things did not go exactly as planned. Today, two of my programmes were planned close to the PM’s route. The evening plan got cancelled, and even the morning one was restricted. But I will maintain courtesy as he is the PM,” Panja said.In Jorasanko, Trinamool nominee Vijay Upadhyay led a roadshow with supporters carrying party umbrellas. “The idea is not just to beat the heat. It is also to show that Didi is our umbrella,” he said. In Behala West, BJP’s Indranil Khan held a roadshow through Sarsuna and Parnasree. CPM candidate Dipsita Dhar in Dum Dum Uttar attended a youth-focused discussion and a pet lovers’ meet after a rally with Md Salim and actor Sreelekha Mitra.
