Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee traded barbs and a rollout of promises on Wednesday, three days before the first day of polling in Bengal with Modi promising to anoint as CM a “son of the soil”, a phrase the two leading rival campaigners have been splitting hairs over lately.

In the 176km between East Midnapore’s Contai, where the Prime Minister had his only rally in the state on Wednesday, and Bishnupur in Bankura district, where Mamata had her first campaign for the day, the vitriol flew thick and fast.

Modi spoke about corruption during the Amphan cyclone relief and the syndicates thriving in Bengal under the Trinamul’s patronage and Mamata referred to crony capitalism and the ruling BJP’s stoking the communal fire, before calling each other liars.

“She is telling lies one after the other to humiliate Nandigram before the entire country. She is insulting the people of Nandigram, which gave so much to her,” Modi said in his speech.

On March 10, while campaigning in Nandigram, Mamata had sustained injuries and since then has addressed all her rallies from the dais sitting on a wheelchair. Modi did not make any direct comment on her injury.

About 30 minutes after Modi was on his way to Assam’s Bihpuria, Mamata returned the barb in Bishnupur. “I have not seen a bigger liar than Modi,” she said. “We do what we say, while they make a lot of promises but do not keep even one. Has anyone of you received the Rs 15 lakh?”

Modi reminded his party supporters, if the BJP was voted to power, a son of the soil would become the chief minister. He did not stop with that promise to counter Mamata’s “outsider” charge, instead named Bengal’s favourite sons like Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose, Midnapore icons like Khudiram Bose and Matangini Hazra to hit at Mamata.

“Bengal gave Vande Mataram to the country. Gurudev (Rabindranath Tagore) wrote, what we say everyday, Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha Dravid Utkal Banga, how can any Indian be outsider? We are being called tourists and insulted daily.”

Mamata clarified in Bishnupur, that her comment was not for people from other parts of the country who reside in Bengal. “Goons are coming from Uttar Pradesh before the elections, chewing paan masala and damaging the culture of Bengal. These are the outsiders,” she said.

Mamata Banerjee at her rally in Bishnupur. PTI

She also referred to another BJP-ruled state, Tripura to emphasise that BJP’s promissory notes were not to be trusted. “What have you done in Tripura? There is no provident fund, no gratuity. Group-D employees have been outsourced to private agencies. Teachers have been sacked,” Mamata said.

Earlier in his speech, Modi had referred to the neighbouring state of Assam, as a benchmark of development under the NDA to push his theory of “double-engine” government, the same party ruling at the Centre and the states.

“Look at Assam. Earlier we would hear only about killings in Assam. Our government was formed five years ago and since then there is peace and development projects are being carried out. But here in Bengal, only echoes of guns and bombs can be heard,” he said.

Without alluding to the Prime Minister’s claims, Mamata reminded the audience how she had brought peace to Junglemahal.

The geographical area where Modi campaigned on Wednesday had turned into a stronghold of the Trinamul, courtesy the Adhikary family.

From 2001 onwards, the Contai South seat has been a fied of the Adhikarys, with the father Sisir and his two sons Suvendu and Dibyendu having represented it in the Bengal Assembly. The adjoining Contai North, has swayed between the CPM and the Trinamul Congress in recent polls. In this election season the spotlight however is on neighbouring Nandigram where Mamata faces the son-of-the-East Midnapore-soil Suvendu and a 30-year-old Marxist woman, fielded by the CPM with the Congress support. Bishnupur, which was once a Red-stronghold has since turned hands from the Trinamul to the BJP in recent times.

Though the Prime Minister has yet to have any dialogue with farmers protesting outside the national capital for more than 100 days, he promised that the betel-leaf, cashew, paddy, jute and potato producers of East Midnapore would benefit from central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Mamata promised more doles like credit cards for students, delivering free ration at doorsteps, doubling the number of days in the 100 days employment scheme among others.

(Contai North and Contai South go to polls on March 27, Bishnupur on April 1).