News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Shah

  • Cyclone politics: Poll defeat hurting, PM Modi playing dirty, says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The Prime Minister should not play a ‘dirty game’ and instead withdraw the letter directing to Bengal’s top bureaucrat to report to Delhi, West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee asserted on Saturday.

    Not one to cower under attack, the CM added that the BJP failed to digest its defeat in the recent elections and the saffron camp is now pursuing ‘vendetta politics’. Mamata claimed that PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were trying to create problems for her government at every step ever since her party came to power for the straight third term.

    Chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay was served the transfer notice after Mamata, whom he had accompanied, skipped a review meeting with the PM to assess Cyclone Yaas’ damages.

    “You (Modi and Shah) are not only disturbing me, but also my secretariat.  You issued the letter without consulting the state government. Earlier, I wrote seeking Bandopadhyay’s three-month extension as he is assigned to oversee the fight against COVID and the government’s relief operation for cyclone victims. He was scheduled to retire on May 31 and the request was approved. Now you are asking him to report to the DoPT on the same day. Why? Is it because he is a Bengali bureaucrat?” asked Mamata. 

    Many saw her statement as an extension of her poll ploy of appealing to the Bengali sentiment of the masses. Continuing the same narrative, Mamata said she was ready touch Modi’s feet if told to do for the sake of Bengal’s growth and development.

    “You are doing all these because you cannot digest BJP’s defeat in Bengal. What is the fault of the chief secretary?…Recalling him reflects how the Centre is indulging in political vendetta,” she added.

    Responding to the BJP’s attack for not attending the review meeting, Mamata said, “I decided to attend the meet as I thought it would be between us. But later, I got to know about the revised event in which BJP leaders was invited. Then I decided to skip it.”

  • ‘Can touch Modi’s feet for Bengal’s welfare’: Mamata accuses BJP of vendetta politics

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Alleging that the BJP-led Centre was pursuing “vendetta politics”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday appealed to the Union government to withdraw its order recalling Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and allow the senior bureaucrat to work for people amid the COVID-19 crisis.

    She also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were trying to create problems for her government at every step as they were yet to come to terms with BJP’s defeat in the assembly elections.

    Banerjee further stated that she was ready to touch Modi’s feet if told to do for the sake of West Bengal’s growth and development.

    “Because you (Modi and Shah) cannot digest BJP’s defeat in (Bengal), you have started creating problems for us from Day one. What is the fault of the chief secretary? “Recalling the chief secretary amid the COVID crisis goes on to show that the Centre was indulging in political vendetta,” she asserted.

    Talking about the criticism she faced for skipping the review meeting with Modi on cyclone devastation, Banerjee said, “It was supposed to be held between the PM and the CM. Why were BJP leaders called to the session?”

    She also claimed that opposition leaders were not invited to similar review meetings held in Gujarat and Odisha, the two states that also faced cyclone fury over the past few days.

    The Centre on Friday night sought services of West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and asked the state government to relieve the officer immediately, a move termed by the ruling Trinamool Congress as “forced deputation”.

    ALSO READ | ‘Has this ever happened since Independence?’ TMC on Centre’s Bengal Chief Secretary move

    Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, was scheduled to retire on May 31 after completion of 60 years of age.

    However, he was granted a three-month extension following a nod from the Centre.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to grant Bandyopadhyay an extension for at least six months in view of his experience of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In a communique to the state government, the Personnel Ministry on Friday said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the placement of the services of Bandyopadhyay with Government of India as per provisions of the Indian Administrative Service (cadre) Rules, 1954, “with immediate effect”.

    While asking the state government to relieve the officer with immediate effect, it also directed Bandyopadhyay to report to the Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi by 10 am on May 31.

    The IAS cadre rule says a cadre officer may, with the concurrence of the state governments concerned and the central government, be deputed for service under the central government or another state government.

    “Provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the central government and the state government or state governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the central government,” it says.

    The order from the Centre angered the Trinamool Congress which said the decision to seek Bandyopadhyay’s services was because the people of the state gave an overwhelming mandate to the chief minister.

    Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy described it as “forced central deputation” of the chief secretary and asked, “Has this ever happened since Independence? Forced central deputation of a chief secretary of a state? How much lower will Modi-Shah’s BJP stoop?” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the decision was taken to derail the good work done by Bandyopadhyay, “a true soldier of Mamata Banerjee”.

    “The BJP is yet to accept their loss in the assembly elections and that is why they are doing such petty politics. This is nothing but vindictive politics of the BJP,” he claimed.

    “At a time when Bengal is facing the COVID pandemic and the devastations caused by Cyclone Yaas, the central government is trying to make the people of the state suffer. They are acting like an enemy of the people of Bengal,” Ghosh said.

    BJP’s state general secretary Sayantan Basu told PTI that it was an administrative decision by the Centre.

    “It is an administrative issue involving two governments and the state BJP has nothing to comment on it,” he said.

    Bandyopadhyay took over as the chief secretary of West Bengal after Rajiva Sinha retired in September last year.

    ALSO READ | Outreach is Bengal BJP’s new strategy

    The order came on a day when the prime minister visited Odisha and West Bengal states to review the situation and damages caused by Cyclone Yaas.

    Banerjee had a brief meeting with the prime minister at the Kalaikunda airbase where she handed over a memorandum on the post-cyclone situation.

    The BJP leaders later accused her of cutting short the planned review meeting.

    On May 24, Banerjee, while announcing extension of Bandyopadhyay’s extension, had said, “Our chief secretary has got an extension for three months. We are happy because he has got the experience of working during last year’s Amphan as well as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic”.

    This is the second time that the Union government has invoked the All India Services Rule in the last five months.

    Earlier in December, the Centre had directed the West Bengal government to immediately relieve three IPS officers so that they could join their new assignments at the Centre.

    The officers, Rajeev Mishra (1996 batch), Praveen Tripathi (2004 batch) and Bholanath Pandey (2011 batch), were directed to report on central deputation in December last year after the West Bengal government refused to send its chief secretary and police chief to Delhi to discuss the law and order situation in the state.

    The three were responsible for the security of BJP President J P Nadda during his visit to the state for building up momentum for electioneering when his convoy was attacked at Diamond Harbour.

    However, according to the officials, these three officers were never released by the state government.

    The CM on Friday sought a Rs 20,000-crore relief package after submitting a report to Prime Minister Naredra Modi on damages caused by cyclone ‘Yaas’, even as she faced harsh criticism for skipping a longer review meet to assess the post-storm situation.

    Modi flew down to Odisha earlier in the day to review the post-cyclone situation, and then made his way to Bengal, where the storm wreaked havoc in the coastal districts.

    The state has incurred a loss of Rs 20,000 crore due to the cyclone, Banerjee said.

    “We have sought a package of Rs 10,000 crore each for the redevelopment of Digha and the Sunderbans. It could well be that we might not get anything,” she told reporters in the tourist town of Digha, shortly after meeting Modi at Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district.

    Banerjee, however, skipped the review meeting with the prime minister, where Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP’s Nandigram MLA and leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, and Raiganj MP Debasree Chaudhuri were also present.

    “The CM came, handed over some papers to the PM and left. She did not participate in the review meeting. This is a day when we all should have been united in seeking assistance from the central government. There is no scope of politics during this crisis,” Adhikari said.

    In a tweet, Banerjee said she had “proceeded to review the relief and restoration work at Digha”, after apprising the PM about the post-cyclone situation in West Bengal.

    Her absence from the review meeting was decried by Dhankhar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said Banerjee “put arrogance above public welfare”.

    “Mamata Didi’s conduct today is an unfortunate low. Cyclone Yaas has affected several common citizens and the need of the hour is to assist those affected. Sadly, Didi has put arrogance above public welfare and todays petty behaviour reflects that,” Shah tweeted.

    Dhakhar, in another tweet, said: “It would have been in interest of state if CM and officials @MamataOfficial had participated in Review Meet with PM. Difficult to appreciate. No official present in Review Meet and no meeting between PM and CM, much less one to one. Such confrontation has no place in democracy.”

    ALSO READ | Governor appreciates Mamata for cyclone Yaas combat, TMC leader says it’s ‘eye-wash’

    “Such boycott not in consonance with constitution and federalism. Certainly by such actions neither public interest nor interest of state has been served.”

    Adhikary added that Banerjee’s decision to give the meeting a miss has shown once again that she is “insensitive” to the sufferings of the people of the state.

    Meanwhile, a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said Modi has announced a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief activities.

    “Rupees 500 crore would be immediately given to Odisha. Another Rs 500 crore has been announced for West Bengal and Jharkhand, which will be released on the basis of the damage.”

    “The Union Government will deploy an inter-ministerial team to visit the states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given,” it said.

    The PM has also declared an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the cyclone, the release said.

    Cyclone ‘Yaas’ rampaged through parts of India’s eastern coast on Wednesday, killing at least four people and forcing more than 21 lakh people to be evacuated to safe shelters in West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

    Heavy rainfall was reported at several places under the impact of the cyclone in all the three states on Thursday.

  • Amit Shah reviews preparation for Cyclone ‘Yaas’ with CMs of western coastal sates Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting over video conferencing with the chief ministers of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh along with the Lt. Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, to assess their preparedness and that of central ministries and agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone ‘Yaas’, which is forming in the Bay of Bengal.

    According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah specifically reviewed and re-iterated to the states and Union Territory administrations to make adequate power backup arrangements in all COVID-19 hospitals, labs, vaccine cold chains and other medical facilities.

    Further, he advised them to ensure adequate stocks of all essential medicines and supplies in hospitals, keeping in view likely disruption of the movement of vehicles. For health facilities, including temporary hospitals, likely to be affected by the cyclone, the Union Home Minister advised them to make adequate arrangements for securing them from losses and for evacuation of patients in advance, if necessary.

    The Union Home Minister said advance action taken in this regard on the western coast ensured that there was no adverse impact on any medical facility.

    Shah also reviewed the impact of the cyclone on oxygen generation plants located in the states of West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

    He advised them to make advance planning for keeping a buffer stock of oxygen for two days and movement of oxygen tankers to allocated states so that in case of any disruption, supply to allocated states is not impacted.

    Shah asked the state governments to ensure the safety of oxygen generation plants. He also emphasized the need to make necessary arrangements for the safety of power plants to ensure uninterrupted power supply to hospitals and health facilities.

    The safety of all shipping and fishing vessels, and all ports and oil installations in the area were also reviewed during the meeting.

    “In this regard, the Union Home Minister also reviewed the preparedness of the concerned states and UT to ensure that all fishermen are brought back to shore and the timely evacuation of people from low lying and vulnerable areas. He advised them to disseminate messages in local languages over mobile phones, television, social media and through village panchayats, with a view to educate and motivate people,” it said.

    As practiced by Odisha, volunteers, such as Home Guards, NCC and civil defence may also be mobilised in helping in the evacuation of people, Shah said.

    The Union Home Minister stressed on the need to ensure the safety of power and telecommunication services and their timely restoration. He advised the sstate governments and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands to make advance planning and pre-position required manpower, equipment and material at vulnerable locations.

    He also emphasised on the need to look after the safety of power lines during the cyclone, and to promptly restore any damage that occurs. Further, he said that timely pruning of heavy trees will help in damage mitigation.

    “The state governments and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands to be in touch with the India Meteorological Department for their advance warnings and updated forecasts,” advised Shah.

    Shah assured the states and the union territory of all cooperation of the central government and its agencies and directed senior officers for the same. He said maximum resources, both government and private, should be utilised to tackle the situation.

    The Union Home Minister re-iterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will be able to successfully handle the impending cyclone.

    Shah said a 24×7 control room is functioning in the MHA, which can be contacted at any time for any assistance by the states and the Union Territory.

    He said the Indian Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army and Air Force units have also been put on standby and surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out aerial sorties.

    The Chief Minister of Odisha thanked the ccentral government for convening the meeting and for extending assistance to the state government in its preparedness efforts. He assured that all necessary steps have been taken by the Odisha government to handle and manage the cyclone.

    The Chief Minister of West Bengal also assured that necessary steps are being taken to ensure that there is minimal loss of life and property due to the impending cyclone and that the state government is fully prepared.

    The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh thanked the Central Government and assured that necessary precautions are being taken. The Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands informed the Union Home Minister that the cyclone would have little or negligible impact on the islands.

    The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai; Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Power, Telecommunications, Road Transport & Highways, Port Shipping and Waterways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Members of NDMA, CISC, Integrated Defence Staff, Directors General of IMD, Coast Guard and NDRF.

    Chief Secretaries and other senior officers of the states and UT concerned also attended the meeting. 

  • Cyclone Tauktae: Amit Shah speaks to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan CMs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday spoke to the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan and took stock of the situation in their states after the landfall of Cyclone Tauktae, official sources said.

    They said the minister talked to the CMs over the telephone and extended support of the Union government in aiding and mitigating challenges that arose in the aftermath of the ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ battering the costal areas on the country’s western shore along the Arabian Sea.

    Home Ministry officials said Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

    ALSO READ: Cyclone Tauktae leaves behind trail of destruction; 4 dead in Gujarat

    They said that while Rajasthan did not face the direct brunt of the cyclone, a number of districts were stated to have witnessed rains and strong wings as an after effect of the furious sea storm.

    The landfall process of the eye of Tauktae, which hit the Gujarat coast in Saurashtra region between Diu and Una, ended around midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

  • Cyclone Tauktae: Goa CM speaks to Amit Shah regarding damage caused, assured of complete support

    By ANI
    PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the impact and devastation caused by the Tauktae cyclone in the state.

    “Spoke to the Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji regarding the impact and devastation caused by the Tauktae cyclone in the state of Goa,” said the Goa CM in a tweet.

    He further said that the Home Minister inquired about the damage and assured of full support to the state.

    “Hon’ble HM inquired about the widespread damage caused by the cyclone in the state and assured full support of all Central agencies to the State for returning to normalcy. We will provide all necessary assistance to Goans impacted by the cyclone,” he added.

    The Goa CM also held a virtual meeting and directed all the State Government Departments to work on war footing to restore essential services and also assess the damage in detail.

    Earlier on Sunday, the Chief Minister had said that two deaths were reported in Goa due to the cyclone.

    The cyclone, which nearly touched Goa, has caused as lot of damage in the state.

    ALSO READ | Cyclone Tauktae: CM Uddhav Thackeray reviews situation; over 12,000 people shifted in Maharashtra

    “More than 500 trees have fallen. There were major road blocks also. Around 100 major houses and 100 minor houses were damaged. Huge damage has been caused to the electricity department. The fire department, Home department, PWD department, and electricity department along with the disaster management team have been working since morning. I believe it will take two days to streamline everything. The power supply is disrupted. Roads are blocked. We are clearing the main road first,” said the chief minister.

    “By the grace of God, our COVID hospitals’ power supply was not interrupted,” he added.

    The Chief Minister further announced that the families of the deceased will be provided support from the disaster relief fund.

    ALSO WATCH:

    Speaking about the cyclone, he said: “We have to be alert for another two days. The cyclonic winds will continue on May 16 and May 17. The major impact has been on Bardez in North Goa and Mormugao in South Goa.”

    Earlier, the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) had stated that Cyclone Tauktae is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours and that it will cross the western coast of Gujarat in the early morning of May 18.

    Thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying areas along its western coast as Tauktae is expected to make landfall in Gujarat. IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra informed that the cyclone is very likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district.

  • Cyclone Tauktae: Amit Shah holds meeting with Gujarat and Maharashtra CMs, reviews preparedness

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Maharashtra and Administrator of Daman and Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli, to assess the preparedness of states and Union Territories and Central Ministries and agencies concerned, to deal with the situation arising out of cyclone ‘Tauktae’.

    During the meeting, Shah reviewed the preparedness of all health facilities in the areas likely to be impacted by the cyclone and directed the state administration and district collectors to make adequate power backup arrangements in all COVID hospitals, labs, vaccine cold chain and other medical facilities.

    The Home Minister also directed Maharashtra and Gujarat to make advance planning for keeping a buffer stock of oxygen for two days and movement of oxygen tankers to allocated to the states, so that in case of any disruption, supply to allocated states is not impacted.

    ALSO READ| Cyclone Tauktae: Cabinet Secretary reviews preparedness, 101 NDRF teams deployed across states

    “A 24×7 control room is functioning in MHA, which can be contacted at any time for any assistance by the States. Indian Coast Guard, the Navy, Army and Air Force units have also been put on standby and surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out aerial sorties,” Shah said.

    The Union Home Minister directed the senior officers to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated and all essential services maintained, including health and oxygen facilities, power, telecommunications, drinking water and that these are restored immediately in the event of damages caused to them.

    On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reviewed the preparedness of states and central agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of cyclone Tauktae.

    Earlier in the day, the Director-General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that the cyclone is expected to reach the Gujarat Coast in the morning of May 18 (Tuesday) with wind speeds ranging from 150 to 160 km/hour, accompanied by squally winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge in the coastal districts of the state.

    ALSO READ| Cyclone Tauktae: Nadda speaks to BJP leaders over measures to help people

    The National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) has deployed a total of 101 teams across the states that will most likely be affected due to cyclone Tauktae. As many as 79 teams, along with 22 on standby have been deployed. Rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard, along with ships and aircraft have also been deployed.

    The incoming cyclone has intensified into a “very severe cyclonic storm” over the east-central Arabian Sea and is very likely to intensify further during the next 12 hours, said the IMD on Sunday morning.

  • Assam’s chief issue: Himanta Biswa Sarma meets BJP leaders J P Nadda, Amit Shah in Delhi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Amid speculation over the next chief minister of Assam, senior BJP leader from the state Himanta Biswa Sarma met party president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday.

    Both Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Health Minister Himanta Sarma were on Friday called to New Delhi by the BJP central leadership, apparently to discuss the leadership issue of the next government.

    Though both leaders from Assam reached Delhi on Saturday morning it was Sarma who reached Nadda’s residence to meet him and BJP general secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh, sources said.

    They were later joined by Amit Shah.

    It is expected that Sonawal would also reach Nadda’s residence to meet the BJP’s top brass, where a decision on the next chief minister of Assam could be taken.

    ALSO READ | Who will take over the reigns in Assam: CM Sonowal or Himanta?

    It is immediately not known whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present in the meeting, they added.

    Sonowal, who belongs to Assam’s indigenous Sonowal-Kachari tribals, and Sarma, the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance, both are contenders for the top post of the Assam government.

    The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the Assembly polls in Assam.

    In the 2016 Assembly polls, the BJP had projected Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate and won, forming the first saffron party government in the northeast.

    This time, the party has been maintaining that it would decide who would be the next chief minister of Assam after the elections.

    In the results announced for the 126-member Assam assembly last Sunday, the BJP won 60 seats while its alliance partners AGP got nine seats and UPPL six.

  • Bengal polls: Despite wooing by both BJP and Trinamool, Matuas choose to split votes

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Bharatiya Janata Party in its electoral mathematics for Bengal had counted on the 3 million strong Vaishnavite Matua community spread over the districts of Nadia, South and North 24 Parganas as a major vote bank, with the Prime Minister taking time not only to pay repeated visits to Matua dominated constituencies but even to a Matua shrine in neighbouring Bangladesh.

    However actual voting patterns showed that the Matuas did not vote en-bloc for any one party and preferred to split their vote between both the ruling TMC with which many in the community had good relations them as well as BJP which had launched a charm offensive aimed at the community.

    The saffron party had left no stone unturned to win the Matua community’s favour.

    Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders held a series of public meetings in Matua areas.

    The community has the highest concentration in North 24 Parganas and Nadia, along with some places in South 24 Parganas district, but has adherents in other districts and in large parts of western Bangadesh too.

    Hailing from the Namashudra, a scheduled caste, adherents of this Vaishnavite sect are followers of Harichand Thakur a 19th century Vaishnavite reformer.

    While the original seat of the Matua Mahasangha was in Oraikandi in Bangladesh where Thakur was born, Indian Matuas have set up their sects inner sanctum in a new township called Thakurnagar, in North 24 parganas, near the border with Bangladesh.

    However, despite the BJP launching a campaign blitzkrieg in North 24 Parganas, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah holding public meetings to win the hearts of the Matuas, the party could win only five seats out of 33 seats in North 24 Parganas, with TMC accounting for an overwhelming 28 seats.

    It won in Bongaon Uttar, Bongaon Dakshin, Bagda, Gaighata, all of which have a sizeable presence of Matuas and are reserved for the SC communities, apart from Bhatpara.

    All the four constituencies are situated near the Bangladesh border and have a good percentage of refugees from the neighbouring country.

    The BJP-nominated Subrata Thakur, belonging to the family that runs the Matua Mahasangha, won from Gaighata with a margin of 9,578 votes.

    The BJP made a good showing in Nadia, where it won nine out of 17 constituencies, while TMC bagged eight seats.

    However, the spread of BJPs influence in Nadia pre-dates the partys wooing of the Matua community.

    The saffron party won all the five seats reserved for scheduled caste communities in the district – Krishnaganj, Ranaghat Uttar Purba, Ranaghat Dakshin, Haringhata and Kalyani, all of which have a high concentration of Matua voters.

    The Matua community, after the death of their matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as “Boro Ma” in March 2019, has split into two groups.

    While one has sided with the TMC, the other seems to have favoured the BJP.

    Both the BJP and the TMC have wooed the Thakur family, descendants of Harichand Thakur to gain the support of Matuas.

    The prime minister, Union Home Minister and several cabinet ministers have visited the Matua Mahasangha headquarters, while the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee too has often spoken of her close relations with “Boro Ma”.

    Shah in his campaign stressed implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in West Bengal and grant of citizenship to Matuas, many of whom had moved in from Bangladesh as refugees.

    Addressing a rally at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, where the Matua Mahasangha is headquartered, Shah had in February said that the process of granting Indian citizenship to refugees under the CAA will begin once the process of Covid vaccination ended.

    TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has opposed the CAA and NRC tooth and nail, also held a number of public meetings in the Matua dominated constituencies of Nadia and North 24 Parganas, stressing that they are already citizens of the country and do not need to go through the process again.

    Besides, the 28 seats TMC won in North 24 Parganas, the party also won all the 31 seats in South 24 Parganas, where the Matuas have a presence in quite a few seats.

  • West Bengal poll results show Narendra Modi-Amit Shah not invincible: Shiv Sena

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Monday said the West Bengal election results have proved that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are not invincible.

    An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said out of four states (West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and a Union Territory (Puducherry) which recently went to polls, all eyes were on West Bengal.

    “Instead of tackling the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the entire central government, including Prime Minister Modi, was in the poll arena of West Bengal to defeat (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee,” it said.

    On Sunday, Banerjee fended off a spirited challenge by a resurgent BJP in West Bengal with a landslide victory for her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party for a third consecutive term.

    “The results have proved that despite having all the machinery and technology at their disposal, Modi-Shah are not invincible,” the Marathi daily said.

    The Shiv Sena, which shares power in Maharashtra with the NCP and Congress, did not contest the West Bengal polls, but extended its support to Banerjee.

    West Bengal had to go through eight phases of voting, the editorial noted, and claimed the BJP used money, power andgovernment machinery to defeat Mamata Banerjee.

    “The BJP lost and the corona won. This is a one-line analysis of the Bengal poll results,” the editorial said.

    With the single aim to win West Bengal, Modi and Shah entered the poll fray, held massive rallies and roadshows, violating all COVID-19 safety rules, it alleged.

    It said the Madras High Court has blamed the Election Commission for the spread of COVID-19 due to the long-drawn campaign in the states where polls were recently held, especially West Bengal.

    The Sena asked who will take the responsibility of the BJP’s performance in the polls.

    Except for Assam and Puducherry, the BJP has not done well (in other states which went to polls), it said.

    “The people of West Bengal need to be complimented for not falling prey to an artificial wave and for unitedly standing up for their own prestige. The country should learn from Bengal,” the editorial said.

  • BJP expresses confidence about victory in West Bengal elections 2021

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day after exit polls gave a divided opinion on the outcome of the West Bengal Assembly election, the BJP expressed confidence on Friday that it will form the next government in the state by winning a majority of the seats after the votes are counted on Sunday.

    “We will get a full majority and form the next government comfortably,” BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, a key member of the party’s brain trust, said.

    Asked about a few poll forecasts that have given an edge to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he exuded confidence that the saffron party will get people’s blessings.

    BJP’s IT wing head Amit Malviya, who was actively involved in the campaign as the party’s co-incharge for West Bengal, also expressed confidence about the saffron party forming its maiden government in the eastern state.

    ALSO READ | Exit polls 2021: West Bengal too close to call, DMK has cruising victory, LDF to enjoy second turn

    “We will win comprehensively,” he said and dismissed those exit polls that have put the TMC ahead, saying that is not going to happen.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will very much form the next government, he added.

    The exit polls on Thursday forecast a tight contest between the incumbent TMC and the BJP in the high-profile West Bengal Assembly polls.

    India Today-Axis My India predicted a neck-and-neck contest, giving the BJP 134-160 and the TMC 130-156 seats.

    The Republic-CNX polls also gave the BJP a slight edge by projecting 138-148 seats for the party in the 294-member Assembly and 128-138 to the TMC.

    However, Times Now-C Voter predicted a clear majority for the TMC by projecting 158 seats for the party and 115 for the BJP.

    The Jan Ki Baat exit polls, however, predicted a strong majority for the BJP in West Bengal, giving it 162-185 seats, against 104-121 to the TMC.

    The TMC had won 211 seats and the BJP only three in the 2016 West Bengal polls.

    The Left-Congress alliance was forecast to be further marginalised in the fiercely bipolar contest.