MAHUA MAKES MASSIVE WAVES @KRISHNANAGAR

CAMPAIGN in West Bengal's Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13, has intensified with TMC's candidate Mahua Moitra, the former MP from the seat, locked in a fierce contest with BJP's Amrita Roy, the Rajmata of the Krishnanagar royal family.

- SULAGNA SENGUPTA

Known for her impassioned speeches, Moitra is busy campaigning in villages. "It's not a fight for local issues. It's a fight for regaining democracy which BJP in the past 10 years has crushed. It is a vote to preserve fundamental freedoms," said Moitra, who was removed from the Lok Sabha over the cashfor-query scandal.

Kolkata Srinagar 31 26 22 12 Imphal Chandigarh 18 21 36 26 newindianexpress.com Despite internal feud and BJP trying to project TMC as a 'corrupt party', the schemes of Mamata Banerjee -- especially women-centric ones like Lakshmir Bhandar, Kanyashree and Rupashree -- have got traction with the local people, party's district leaders claim.

"I have been selling meat for the last few years in Krishnanagar market and I have seen how our candidate helped common people in times of crisis. The BJP candidate is new and we hardly knew her. Banerjee's welfare schemes have greatly benefitted us," said Nadim Haque, a meat seller at Tehatta.