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Campaign for fourth phase ends in West Bengal
Around 11.5 million voters will decide the fate of 373 candidates in Saturday’s polling in constituencies spread over Howrah, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly districts in south Bengal and Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in north Bengal.
Campaigning for 44 seats in north and south Bengal ended on Thursday with leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) targeting each other ahead of the fourth round of the eight-phase assembly elections.
Around 11.5 million voters will decide the fate of 373 candidates in Saturday’s polling in constituencies spread over Howrah, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly districts in south Bengal and Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in north Bengal. Voting will be held between 7 am and 6.30 pm at 15,940 polling stations.
At a rally in Hooghly, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that BJP would form “anti-Romeo squads”, akin to those in UP, if it came to power in the eastern state. The BJP is hoping to wrest power from the TMC, which is looking for its third straight term.
“Why are our mothers and sisters not safe in Bengal? Anti-Romeo squads will be formed to deal with those who loiter around girls’ schools,” said Adityanath who addressed three rallies in Hooghly and Howrah districts. The UP government formed what it called anti-romeo squads to ensure safety of women soon after Adityanath assumed power in 2017. While these squads promised to protect women, allegations were raised on numerous occasions that couples were harassed, often on religious lines.
TMC and Left leaders criticised the comment. “Adityanath has no right to make such statements. Law and order situation is quite normal in Bengal and women are safe. He should be concerned about criminal activities in his own state,” said TMC Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy.
The BJP leadership targeted chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, accusing them of corruption and “appeasement politics”. Union home minister Amit Shah held several road shows and also had a meal at a rickshaw puller’s residence in Domjur. At a rally in Cooch Behar, Mamata said: “We will not let Gujaratis capture Bengal. Bengal will stay in Bengal, we will not let goons from Gujarat take over Bengal.”
