Mahishadal, April 27: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today asked the gathering at a rally here if they wanted a shipyard in the region.

The answer, from the largely CPM audience, was “yes”.

“If the factory comes up, thousands from the region will get jobs. You tell me, do you not want the factory?” the chief minister asked.

A Trinamul-led committee has been formed here to resist the acquisition of around 500 acres for the shipyard, to be built by an Apeejay Group-Bharti Shipyard joint venture.

None of the CPM’s Left Front partners attended the meeting.