Pradhan vows jobs as Suvendu files nomination

Kolkata: Union minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday promised to create massive employment opportunities at Haldia to help youths from entire Bengal get jobs in the industrial town itself.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently visited Haldia. It has immense potential for creation of job opportunities for entire Bengal. Government of India wants Bengal's "paribartan" (change of state's image in terms of development) to take place from Haldia and Nandigram," said Pradhan, while attending a rally at Haldia organised before filing of nomination by BJP's Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari at SDO office. On Friday, he registered himself as a voter of Nandigram from where he is contesting as he received a new Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC). Earlier, he was a voter of Haldia. CPI(M) candidate Minakshi Mukherjee also filed her nomination from Nandigram on Friday. Besides Pradhan, Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development Smriti Irani was also present in the rally. TMC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee had already submitted her nomination on Wednesday after a 2 km-long roadshow amid a sea of supporters.

While promising to create job opportunities at Haldia, Pradhan said the state government did not utilise all opportunities for development of the area in the past 10 years. "I am confident that people of Nandigram will cast their votes this time in favour of BJP on April 1," he said after raising the "cut money" issue. Irani questioned Banerjee's filing of nomination from Nandigram instead of Bhowanipore. BJP leaders from Bengal have requested Union Home minister Amit Shah to hold public rallies at Nandigram during his forthcoming visit to the state. Actor Mithun Chakraborty will also campaign for BJP in Nandigram.