Shah knocks on doors in Mamata's backyard Bhabanipur to campaign for actor Rudranil

On a door-to-door electioneering drive, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday went around the city's Bhabanipur assembly constituency, considered to be a backyard of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Shah was here to drum up support for actor-turned-BJP candidate Rudranil Ghosh, a political newbie fielded from the south Calcutta area which has a sizeable Gujarati population. Women were seen welcoming him by blowing conch shells and applying 'tilak' on his forehead as he visited homes and handed over leaflets asking people to vote for the saffron party.

'Kamal chinho me vote dijiye' (cast your vote for lotus symbol), Shah was heard telling the residents with folded hands.

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Bhabanipur which has a sizeable Gujarati population was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's pocket borough till she decided to switch to Nandigram for this election.

Besides, Rudranil, Shah was accompanied by BJP's Tarakeswar candidate Swapan Dasgupta, party workers and state leaders.

As Shah went around Bakulbagan locality and nearby pockets of the constituency, police, commandos and BJP volunteers had a trying time in maintaining security, without disrupting his outreach programme.

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"Mark my words, BJP is going to win Bhabanipur seat by a huge margin like other seats," Shah told reporters before leaving the spot.

Later Shah had vegetarian Bengali lunch at the apartment of BJP old-timer and state leader Samarendraprasad Biswas in Justice Chandramadhab Road area of the constituency.