Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held his last election rallies in Assam and West Bengal before the third phase of voting in the assembly elections, launching a fresh political attack on rivals in the two eastern states.
Modi alleged that the “obstructionist mindset” of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress deprived East Bengal of industries and jobs. He also criticised her for branding Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders as “outsiders” and said it was an insult to the inclusive ideology of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
In Assam, the PM said the people of the state had decided to form a BJP government.
While the BJP has posed a challenge to the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, it is seeking to retain power in Assam.
The campaign for Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry and the third and final phase in Assam and the third phase in West Bengal will end at 5pm on Sunday. The voting will take place on April 6.
On Saturday, Modi reacted to a tweet that said the PM may be challenged in Varanasi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying with this, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has accepted defeat in Bengal and is looking for a place outside Bengal to contest.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, Modi reacted to a tweet that said the PM may be challenged in Varanasi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying with this, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has accepted defeat in Bengal and is looking for a place outside Bengal to contest.
{{/usCountry}}“Didi’s party (TMC) is now saying that she would contest the Lok Sabha polls (in 2024) from Varanasi. After this statement came out, two things have become clear. One, she has accepted defeat in Bengal. Second, she is trying to find a place for herself outside Bengal,” he said at a rally in South 24 Parganas. Senior TMC leader and state minister Subrata Chatterjee hit back, saying: “There cannot be any comment on such nonsensical topics.”
The PM also countered Banerjee’s “outsider” and “tourist” remarks against the BJP’s central leaders campaigning in Bengal. “The people of Uttar Pradesh are big hearted, and they would never call you outsider or tourist. You get irritated with Jai Shri Ram but there, every two minutes you will hear Har Har Mahadev. You will get people with tilaks and choti. What would you do then? On whom would you vent your anger?”
After allegations of electronic voting machine rigging surfaced in Nandigram, which went to the polls on April 1, the TMC lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against central forces and also raised the issue of EVM malfunction.
Modi said: “You didn’t get a chance to rig the polls and that’s why you are abusing the ECI and questioning the central forces? Ten years ago you had so much faith on these security forces.”
In Assam, Modi urged voters to bring back the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state to power again in order to continue the momentum of growth. “We believe in ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas’ (with all, development for all, with trust of all). We don’t discriminate in our schemes and everyone is equally benefitted.”
The PM also took a swipe at the Congress-led alliance in Assam, saying: “The election is still on. But yesterday some people made an announcement saying what kind of dress those in the next government would wear... they are conspiring to take over Assam...”