Campaigning for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly election concluded for 152 seats. The final days saw intense rallies and sharp exchanges between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the challenger BJP, with top national leaders involved.
Campaigning ended for the first phase of the assembly election in West Bengal on Tuesday with political parties giving a strong push to their campaign on 152 seats where voters will exercise their franchise on April 23. The polling will decide the electoral fate of 1, 478 candidates.
The poll battle saw sharp exchanges between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP. Congress and CPI-M, who had allied in the last assembly polls, are fighting separately. BJP repeatedly raised the issue of infiltrators, law and order situation and fear among sections of voters, while Trinamool Congress sought to portray it as “anti-Bengali”.
The BJP has also promised the implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations and has made promises for women, youth and farmers. Other parties also made a slew of promises.
Prominent Trinamool Congress candidates in the fray include Goutam Deb from Siliguri, Udayan Guha from Dinhata, Firhad Hakim from Kolkata Port area, Pabitra Kar from Nandigram.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is contesting from his stronghold Nandigram and is challenging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.
Key BJP faces in the first phase also include Union Minister Nisith Pramanik from Mathabhanga (SC) and former state president Dilip Ghosh from Kharagpur Sadar Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is contesting from Baharampur, Mausam Noor from Malatipur, and Mrinmoy Sarkar from Alipurduars.
BJP’s Campaign Blitz
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed several rallies in the state to shore up the BJP’s campaign and expressed confidence that the party would get a majority in the assembly polls. He addressed four rallies in the state on Sunday.
On the last day of the campaign for the first phase, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed four back-to-back election rallies. He began his whirlwind tour with a massive public meeting at Darjeeling, where he wore a traditional Gorkha cap and assured the Gorkha community that a BJP government would resolve their long-pending issues within six months.
Shah also addressed rallies in Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, targeting Mamata Banerjee’s administration over issues of infiltration, law and order, corruption, and women’s safety.
He accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of “protecting” the infiltrators, promising that the BJP “will handpick and remove” illegal immigrants from the state.
“These elections are not about making someone a legislator or a BJP worker the Chief Minister, but rather, these elections are about freeing the whole of Bengal from infiltrators. Mamata Didi wants to protect the infiltrators. But, I am telling you this as I go–that on the 23rd, press the lotus button; on May 5th, form a BJP government. In Bengal, the BJP will handpick and remove every single infiltrator,” he said.
In his last rally in Chandipur, West Medinipur, Shah said the Trinamool Congress government is on its way out. “This is the last rally of the first phase of the election. I want to tell Didi from Chandipur, ‘Tata, bye-bye. Your time is up! You’ve troubled the people of Bengal a lot. It’s time for you to leave and for the BJP to make an entry,” Shah said.
Mamata Banerjee Hits Back at BJP
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also launched strong attacks at the BJP.
“We are facing ED raids every day. Why did you suddenly remember this during elections? You are telling our agencies, the ones who work for our party, to leave Bengal. Why? You have fifty (agencies/resources), we don’t have that kind of power–we have just one,” CM Banerjee said at a rally on Sunday.
She further claimed that the ultimate goal of the BJP was the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). “This is your conspiracy. How much more oppression will you carry out? How much more injustice? How many more votes will you try to cut? After this, you will bring NRC,” she alleged.
Mamata Banerjee also attacked the Centre over “large presence” of paramilitary forces.
“They have brought armoured vehicles to Bengal for polls. They failed to stop the terrorists in Pahalgam. Are the people of Bengal terrorists? The military is to protect the country; why will they interfere in elections? Has anyone ever heard that meetings with the military are held for elections? I will ask this question to the Government of India. Why are all the agencies being put to use? Do you want to fight the elections democratically, or do you want to bulldoze and kill people? Do you want bloodshed or peaceful elections? I want to see whether the power of all their agencies is more than the power of the people,” she said.
“I want to ask the BJP a few questions. Where are 24 crore jobs? It was promised by PM Modi that every year 2 crore jobs will be generated. Did 24 people get jobs? In reality, people have lost jobs. RBI’s report has proved that you have failed as a government. What about the promised Rs 15 lakh? Apart from destroying the country, they have done nothing. The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed on 25th September, 2023. It received more than 450 votes. The notification of the same was not done since you don’t want to give 33% reservation for women. You have misused Doordarshan for political campaigning. You are spreading lies that we did not allow you to pass the bill,” she said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also campaigned during the first phase of polls in the state.
Trinamool Congress has been in power in Bengal for the past 15 years. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)