New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister & Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Sunday accusation bjp “Paid supporters” were brought in from outside the state to influence the upcoming assembly elections while warning her party workers to be wary of any possible electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering.Banerjee, while addressing a press conference related to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Babanipur, alleged that the BJP was trying to introduce a culture of outsiders and political gangsters into Bengal.
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Migrant workers pay tribute to Mamata, say ‘Didi Hamala Bangla Kriya is the best’
“The BJP is not only attracting voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They are also attracting a large number of paying supporters from these states. Along with them, they are also trying to bring the worst elements of their culture into Bengal,” she said.
Mamata links Babanipur tensions to Suvendu Adhikari’s nomination rally
Banerjee also referred to the recent nomination rally held by BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in Babanipur, claiming that outsiders created ruckus during the event.“These outsiders were unleashed during the Suvendu nomination rally in Babanipur. They went on a rampage, tearing posters and banners, spitting on our campaign material, harassing and heckling women bystanders and even displaying shoes at the sacred Makali temple,” she claimed.Stepping up his attack, the TMC supremo said the BJP’s campaign reflected the politics of intimidation and disrespect.“This is the ‘Poriborton’ they want to impose on Bengal. It is a goondagardi culture that disrespects women and has contempt for our beliefs and traditions. Bengal rejects this hooliganism with complete contempt,” she added.
EVM warning: “Maintain 24-hour monitoring”
Banerjee also expressed concerns over the security of EVMs and urged polling staff to remain particularly vigilant before and after polling.“Check all EVM machines thoroughly. Booth agents should also check EVMs thoroughly… I know their plan… After the polls, under the surveillance of CRPF and central forces, they may go in and replace the machines, so we need 24 hours surveillance. You should watch carefully that they will not hack into the EVMs,” news agency ANI quoted her as saying.Her remarks come amid an increasingly heated campaign in the state, with both the TMC and the BJP accusing each other of intimidation and trying to influence the electoral process.
Amit Shah and BJP hit back, call for ‘vote without fear’
Banerjee’s attack comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited West Bengal on April 2, where he campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and urged voters to oust the TMC from power.“This time, no one should be afraid; no one can stop Bengal voters. Everyone must vote without fear of uprooting the TMC and throwing it into the Bay of Bengal,” Shah said while addressing a nomination event for Suvendu Adhikari.He also made a direct appeal to voters in Babanipur, where Banerjee is campaigning.“I appeal to the people of Bengal to help Suvendu Adhikari win this election. We want to create ‘Sonar Bangla’ and that is why we need to defeat the TMC,” Shah said while claiming that the ruling party was tainted by corruption.
PM Modi steps up attack, says TMC is ‘single-minded’ in destroying law and order
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stepped up the BJP’s offensive, attacking the Mamata Banerjee government on Sunday over law and order issues in the state.Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, Prime Minister Modi claimed that the TMC government was determined to carry out a “funeral procession” of law and order in West Bengal and said that “under the ruthless government of TMC, democracy is bleeding every day on the sacred soil of Bengal”.He also accused the ruling party of intimidation and warned that “after May 4, the law will take its course.”The prime minister’s remarks came days after seven judicial officials in Malda district, including three women, were charged over complaints related to deletion of electoral rolls during an SIR exercise.
TMC accuses BJP of trying to create ruckus ahead of polls
Meanwhile, the TMC has accused the BJP of deliberately creating unrest in the run-up to the elections.Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to trigger violence ahead of the polls and lay the foundation for the president’s rule. She also claimed that the recent “hostage” incident in Malda was orchestrated by the BJP.
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Bengal goes to polls in two phases, a high-stakes battle
The West Bengal Assembly, which has 294 members, will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, and counting of votes will take place on May 4. In the last parliamentary election in 2021, the Trinamool Congress Party won a landslide victory with 213 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the main opposition party with 77 seats. Congress and the Left Front failed to win a single seat.