Firoza Bibi flashes the victory symbol in Nandigram. (Jahangir Badsa)

Nandigram, May 14: While campaigning in Nandigram last month, Mamata Banerjee had said she would make the place her address if she got the opportunity. Today, the residents, led by local MLA Firoza Bibi, appealed to the Trinamul Congress chief to “keep her promise”.

“Mamata Banerjee had led the protest against land acquisition in Nandigram. She had said in a campaign rally a few days ago that she wanted to make Nandigram her address. We appeal to her to contest from Nandigram and become an MLA from here. I am ready to vacate my seat for her. We also request her to spend more time with us,” said Firoza, whose son Imdadul was one of those killed in the police firing on March 14, 2007.

On April 28, Mamata had held a campaign rally in East Midnapore’s Nandigram, which had served as the launch pad of her anti land-acquisition movement and turned around her political fortunes. At the meeting, she had hinted that she might contest the by-poll from Nandigram if her party won the Assembly elections. “If I get the opportunity, Nandigram will become my address,” Mamata had said.

Mamata, who did not contest the elections, will need to get elected as an MLA within six months to be chief minister.

Abu Taher, the deputy chief of the Trinamul-led panchayat samiti in Nandigram block-I, said the people of the area would be “forever grateful” to Mamata if chose to contest from Nandigram and “made this place her home”.

“I sent Mamata a text message this morning requesting her to fulfil her promise. She is very busy now. We will meet her and make the request after she is sworn in chief minister,” Taher said. Trinamul leaders in Nandigram held a meeting this morning and decided that a delegation would visit 30B Harish Chatterjee Street soon.

“After the poll results were announced yesterday, a large number of villagers urged us to approach Mamata with the request that she contest from here. She will become the first woman chief minister of Bengal. She is the person who managed to end the Left’s 34-year rule in Bengal. The people of Nandigram want to be part of this history. So we want Didi to become an MLA from this place,” said Sheikh Sufiyan, a local Trinamul functionary.

Soumya Kanti Jana, the son of police firing victim Supriya, said the people of Nandigram had got justice in the form of Mamata’s victory. “We wanted the CPM to be driven out of power. We have got justice,” said Soumya, 21.

Haimabati Haldar, 55, whose husband had suffered a bullet injury in his stomach in the firing, said: “Mamata bore the entire cost of my husband’s treatment. We want Mamata to become our representative.”