Mamata Banerjee
NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday once again took jabs at the election commission and the BJP amid the ongoing war of words over the SIR process.Addressing a public rally at Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district, the TMC chief alleged that “logical discrepancy” under the SIR exercise is not an officially recognised term under the EC framework and was selectively applied in West Bengal, unlike Bihar, to benefit the BJP. Further slamming the saffron party, she added that, she said she has not seen a “dirty party” like the BJP.The West Bengal chief minister, urging people to vote against the BJP, said, “The BJP has snatched everything from you… Voting against it would be your only way to take revenge.” She further claimed that the BJP is organising rallies at locations with direct rail links to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to facilitate bringing in people from those states to fill the venues.Earlier in the day, Mamata had launched another sharp attack on BJP, accusing it of attempting to divide and undermine the people of the state, while urging voters to support TMC for a fourth consecutive term.Sharing a video from her election rally on X, Mamata cited her rallies in Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Bankura, calling voters to back TMC candidates, expressing confidence in returning to power. “My brothers and sisters are my greatest asset. The source of my strength. The backbone of everything we have built together over these fifteen years… I am filled with confidence that our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar will return for a historic fourth consecutive term,” she said.In a veiled reference to the BJP, Banerjee alleged that forces were at work to “divide and humiliate” the people of West Bengal and strip away democratic rights. Calling on voters to unite, she said, “Those conspiring to divide our people, malign our state, strip away democratic rights, and exploit and humiliate the people of Bengal will not succeed. Not while we stand together.”She also invoked a strong political pitch, urging people across communities to come together against what she described as “Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars.” “I call upon every caste, every creed, every class, every religion to rise as one immovable force against the Bangla-Birodhi Zamindars who threaten everything we stand for,” she said.Mamata further appealed for support for multiple TMC candidates across constituencies, naming nominees from Suri, Bolpur, Rampurhat, Labpur, Ausgram, Galsi, Durgapur Purba, Durgapur Paschim, Asansol Uttar, Jamuria, Pandabeswar and Bankura.Polling in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with results scheduled to be announced on May 4. The contest is expected to be a high-stakes battle between the incumbent TMC, seeking a fourth term, and the BJP, which is aiming to expand its presence in the state after making gains in the previous election. Go to Source
