FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Saturday, 03 October 2026 SPORTS SATURDAY INTERVIEW ‘Goa pitches sustainable growth’ EDITORIAL AI’s new compact WORLD Page 7 Trump warns Iran of ‘very hard’ hit over Israel flight crash attempt Page 6 Page 9 Nandigram campaign: CM calls for BJP clean sweep BISWABRATA GOSWAMI Nandigram, 2 October C hief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday turned his final Nandigram campaign pitch into an unabashed electoral battle cry, asking voters to ensure a record victory for BJP candidate Hasirani Rath in the 6 October by-election and repeatedly urging them to “clean sweep” the booths. “On the sixth, take revenge through the EVM,” Mr Adhikari told a packed rally, before asking supporters to break the victory-margin records he had secured in Nandigram in previous elections. “Vote in such a way that every Trinamul candidate loses their deposit. Not a single deposit should remain,” he said, alleging that the party had committed “so much sin and oppression”. The BJP has fielded Ms Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, Mr Adhikari’s former aide who was shot dead in May. Addressing three campaign meetings at Birulia, Debipur and Narayanchawk in Nandigram in support of Ms Rath, Mr Adhikari described her as a “worthy MLA” and said his government would accelerate development in the constituency. Mr Adhikari sought to reassure voters that his decision to vacate the Nandigram seat after winning both Nandigram and Bhowanipore in the 2026 Assembly elections would not mark the end of his political engagement with the constituency. “My relationship in Nandigram is for 24 years. It will not end. You will have me for the next 55 months,” Mr Adhikari said. Mr Adhikari made Chandranath’s killing a central part of his appeal. He alleged that shooters had been brought from Uttar Pradesh and that a Rs 2-crore contract had been arranged for the killing. He said the CBI was investigating the case. The Chief Minister also launched a sweeping attack on the Trinamul Congress, claiming that the party had split into three formations and telling former Trinamul voters that they would not find the “jora phool” symbol in the 6 October contest. But the speech was not confined to confrontation. Mr Adhikari sought to turn the bypoll into a referendum on his development promises, claiming that 12,000 people had received the second housing instalment and 13,700 the first instalment over the past five months. “No kutcha house will remain in Nandigram,” he promised, setting a six-month deadline. He also promised to extend Annapurna benefits to another 10,000 women if required, revive the Jilingham factory to bring migrant workers home, create industrial employment and ensure tap-water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Mr Adhikari promised to pursue a Haldia-Nandigram bridge and a railway connection, saying he wanted Nandigram residents to have access to rail services. Asian Games Day 13: Six golds push India to No 5 as tally rises to 76 Page 12 PM shares ‘unforgettable’ conversation with Capt. Smit Machchhar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 2 October Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described his interaction with Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar as an “unforgettable conversation” filled with “pride and emotions”, after speaking to the Indian pilot who was seriously injured while helping avert a major mid-air tragedy. “An unforgettable conversation with Captain Smit, filled with pride and emotions,” Mr Modi said in a post on social media platform X, sharing visuals of his conversation with Machchhar, who is recovering in a hospital in the UAE. During the interaction, Capt. Machchhar recounted the terrifying moments aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when he was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot. Despite suffering serious injuries, Capt. Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing other crew and passengers to enter and overpower his attacker, thereby preventing a potentially catastrophic incident. Speaking to Mr Modi, Capt. Machchhar said his 17 years of flying experience, including 11 years as a captain, helped him understand that the aircraft was descending dangerously even as he lay injured on the cockpit floor. He said he realised that he had to make one final effort to reach the cockpit door because he could not allow the passengers to lose their lives. Capt. Machchhar also told the Prime Minister that he had kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal, saying it gave him courage in the face of fear and danger. CJP pushes for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, targets PM: New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led Gen Z returned to the streets on Friday ~ Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary ~ demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, greater transparency in the appointment of election commissioners and a freeze on the 2025 voter list. The protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park saw CJP founder Abhijit Dipke launch a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while calling for electoral reforms and greater transparency in the voter-list revision process. Criticising the government, Mr Dipke said that its failure to address the protesters’ concerns had forced them back onto the streets within two months. Page 5