Tag: Bengal elections

  • None from Trinamool keeps relation with me, says Suvendu Adhikari’s father

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Senior Trinamool Congress MP Sisir Adhikari, whose sons Suvendu and Soumendu have joined the BJP, on Wednesday said that no one from his party maintains any relation with him, while the ruling party in West Bengal climed that it is evident where his soul is.

    The Adhikari family patriarch claimed that the TMC has also issued veiled threats that anyone from the party keeping relations with him or his sons will be thrown out.

    “No one from the party contacts me,” he said.

    Reacting to Adhikari’s comments, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “Sisir-da is a veteran person. Everybody understands where his soul is and where he physically is. Let him first decide on that.”

    Without naming any party, Chatterjee also said that it is now clear which direction Adhikari is headed to.

    Adhikari alleged that functionaries of the TMC have made deplorable comments on him publicly, which even leaders of the Congress or the CPI(M) have never indulged in.

    While Suvendu and Soumendu have joined the BJP, another son Dibyendu, who is also a TMC Lok Sabha MP, and Sisir Adhikari have not been attending any meeting or programme of the Mamata Banerjee-led party for several months.

    Adhikari, who has been a TMC MP from Kanthi since 2009, has been in politics for several decades.

  • It is up to Ganguly whether he will attend PM’s Kolkata rally: BJP

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Amid speculation over Indian cricket board president Sourav Ganguly attending the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on March 7, the BJP on Tuesday said that it would be up to the former cricketer to decide whether he will be there or not.

    If the former Indian captain considers attending the programme, health and weather conditions permitting, he will be most welcome, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya told reporters in Kolkata.

    Ganguly was discharged from hospital on January 31, three days after he underwent a fresh round of angioplasty to clear clogged coronary arteries.

    Two more stents were implanted during the surgery.

    Following a mild heart attack in early January, he was diagnosed with Triple Vessel Disease.

    A stent was inserted into one of the blocked arteries at that time.

    “We know Sourav is under rest at home. If he considers attending the meeting, health and weather conditions permitting, he will be most welcome. If he is present, we think he will like it. The crowd will also like that. But we don’t know. It is for him to decide,” Bhattacharya said.

    There was no word from the side of the 48-year-old BCCI chief on the issue.

    There has been speculation that he will join politics ahead of the assembly election in the state.

  • With familiar script of Ram, cow, and ‘love jihad’, Yogi starts Bengal campaign

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW:  BJP’s star campaigner, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, descended on poll-bound West Bengal on Tuesday with a rich embellishment to his ideological themes such as Ram temple, cow slaughter and ‘love jihad’ and warned the Mamata Banerjee government that it would ignore them at the cost of its ouster. 

    Yogi’s ‘how dare you’ speech at Malda took a swipe at his Bengal counterpart, who had felt “offended” with the chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

    “I’d like to remind Mamata Didi that there was a government in UP which had ordered firing on Lord Ram devotees in Ayodhya. You can see the condition of that government now. Now it’s the TMC government’s turn,” he said.

    Further harping on the theme of religious sentiments, Yogi said Durga Puja got “prohibited” in Bengal and cow slaughter was done during Eid.

    Incidents of cow smuggling were going on with impunity while “the state government remains silent”.

    He promised that cow smuggling will be stopped within a day if the BJP is voted to power in the state.

    On ‘love jihad’, he said the state government must learn from UP which has made a law outlawing ‘forcible marriages’ that resulted in religious conversion.

    “Appeasement politics for the sake of vote bank has endangered the security of not only West Bengal but also of the country.

    The TMC has a problem with refugees getting citizenship but has no issue with illegal immigrants coming to the state,” Adityanath said at a rally in the minority-dominated Gazole area of Malda district, which borders Bangladesh.

    “Through fraud and deceit, incidents of ‘Love Jihad’ are taking place in Bengal. Women of the state are not safe. We have made a law against ‘Love Jihad’ in UP. But in Bengal, where the state government is indulging in politics of appeasement, neither are there attempts to curb cattle smuggling nor dangerous incidents of ‘Love Jihad’,” he said.

    “In the same way, the state government has been unable to stop cow smuggling and political violence,” he said.

    Yogi accused the Mamata government of blocking the central schemes and assured the people that they would celebrate ‘Deepotsav of nationalism’ on May 2, when the Assembly poll results are declared. He is likely to address at least a dozen rallies in Bengal. 

    His comments drew sharp reactions from the TMC, which said that West Bengal doesn’t need sermons on law and order from Yogi Adityanath as his state has recorded the highest number of incidents of crime against women.

    Claiming that the raising of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan is not allowed in West Bengal, Adityanath said that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to the TMC government for “playing with their religious sentiments”.

    “Jai Shri Ram slogan is not allowed in West Bengal, but people won’t allow this to continue. Just see what happened to those who opposed the Ram temple. The people of India don’t take any other name other than Ram. Those who are Ram ‘drohi’ (traitors) do not have a place here,” he said.

    Adityanath asked the TMC government why it is opposed to ‘Ram bhakts’ but has a “nexus with forces that bring anarchy in the state”.

    Claiming that West Bengal, which had once led the nation, is now facing a lawless situation, Adityanath said the state needs a “double engine BJP government” to regain its lost glory.

    Several senior TMC leaders were quick to respond to the allegations and said West Bengal did not need sermons from him and rather he should look at the dismal track record of his state.

    They also raised the issue of a 50-year-old man who was allegedly shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district by an accused out on bail in a case of molestation lodged in 2018 against the victim’s daughter.

    “Yet ANOTHER Hathras! The count of dreadful incidents being reported from the @BJP4India-ruled UP is unending! The people of UP are suffering as the state of law and order is in shackles, yet @myogiadityanathis in Bengal?? #BJPHataoBetiBachao,” TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said on social media.

    “In a poll-bound state, Mr @myogiadityanath comes & spreads misinformation to fool people.

    While @BJP4Bengal leaders were spreading Fake News, the family members of the lady informed that she was already suffering from a medical condition resulting in the swelling,” she said in a series of tweets.

    Elections to the 294-member assembly will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Bauls of Bengal: BJP, TMC and the not-so-musical pre-election culture wars

    Online Desk
    The Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda in one of his poll rallies proclaimed that ‘Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, the rich culture and heritage of West Bengal is under threat.’ He asserted only the BJP can now protect it.  

    The Chief Minister in retaliation said the BJP is trying to break the spine of Bengali culture. Sharpening her attack, she added, “They are trying to hammer Bengali pride, erase our history, change the geographic boundary and taint our political ideology with violence.”

    In the run-up to the high-voltage West Bengal elections, the word ‘culture’ and the ethos surrounding it has been at the center of a political slugfest. Kolkata, considered the cultural capital of India, is now the ground zero of this war. 

    In 2019, it was the violence followed by the desecration of Vidyasagar’s bust inside a Kolkata college that had, in the eyes of many political observers, cost the BJP the final phase of Lok Sabha election in the state.

    This time around, battered by the relentless ‘outsider’ jibes from the Trinamool camp, the BJP is doing everything they can to prove they understand the tenets of Bengaliness. There have been notable stumbles though.

    Recently, the party’s IT cell tweeted that Rabindranath Tagore (the epitome of Bengali’s Bhadralok image) was born in Visva-Bharati, much to the BJP’s embarrassment. Union Minister Amit Shah also made a faux pas, paying homage to freedom fighter and tribal leader Birsa Munda by putting a garland on his statue, only to realise later that he had planted himself before the wrong bust.

    And then there was what could well be termed a ‘stagy’ moment.

    In their efforts to rope in popular faces, both the ruling TMC and Opposition BJP have pitted half the Bengali industry against each other. The saffron party, however, went the extra mile and knocked on Johar Ganguly’s door, a popular theatre personality who died in… 1969.

    ALSO READ | ‘Is Modi afraid of Mamata?’: Hurt by CAA delay, Matuas weigh options before Bengal polls

    But the BJP knows that chhere dile sonar gour aar toh pabe na. Hence the party is fighting tooth and nail to bring the state into its saffron fold. Amit Shah even embarked on a culinary journey.

    During his campaign trail, the home minister had lunch with a Baul family in a remote Bengal village in Birbhum district.

    The Bauls are an inseparable part of Bengal’s heritage and the latest entrant in the political arena. Interestingly, the Baul Basudeb Das, who played host to the Union Minister, went on to share the stage a few days later with Mamata Banerjee and performed at the TMC rally.

    When asked about his stance, Das said, “We are artistes. We don’t understand politics and we don’t support any party or politics.”

    The Bauls of Bengal are a  group of folk musicians who pursue a life of self-denial and meditative discipline. Popularised by Lalon Shah, the story of the Bauls’ origin dates back to the 16th century. Influenced by the Bhakti and Sufi movements, the musicians believe that God is not to be found in religious places, but in the self.

    The wandering minstrels are predominantly found in the districts of Nadia and Birbhum, where thousands of them lead a hand-to-mouth existence. Their music often perceived as devotional in nature is usually laced with metaphorical undertones. Draped in shades of saffron, the singers earn a living by performing in stage shows, local trains or at village fairs.

    The Baul akhara in Nadia’s Gorbhanga village where singers assemble every evening. 

    Mansur Fakir, one of the most noted Baul singers in the state, is among those irked by the politicisation of his ilk. He said, “We are mere performers. We should not be dragged into this politics. We perform for everyone, irrespective of caste and creed. If anyone wants us to perform, we will perform. Why are they (parties) trying to divide us along religious lines? We only believe in humanity.”

    Mansur lives in a small village in Nadia district named Gorbhanga that borders Bangladesh. The village infamous for its marijuana cultivation, houses at least 20 Baul families from marginal backgrounds. 

    UNESCO in 2005 recognised the Baul tradition as a ‘Masterpiece of Intangible Oral Heritage of Humanity’. However, with shows cancelled and trains cancelled (where they sing and beg for money), the pandemic left a permanent dent in their lives.

    ALSO READ | How BJP turned West Bengal’s Left support base in their favour

    “We have spent days without food in 2020. I begged wherever we could to get a day’s meal. We get Rs 1000 a month from the government but can that feed us for 30 days?” asked Raju Das, a Birbhum-based folk singer.

    The Mamata government in 2013 had introduced a Rs 1000 monthly stipend for folk artistes in the state, which was widely welcomed by the community. Mansur, unlike Raju Das, is among those who appreciates the move. “Mamata gave us an identity which the Left or the Congress govt failed to. We love her. We love everyone. Just hope they don’t drag us into this mess,” he stated.

  • Trinamool poll slogan ‘Bangla nijer meyekei chay’ in sync with party’s vision: Bengal minister

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The TMC on Tuesday said its poll campaign slogan — ‘Bangla nijer meyekei chay’ (Bengal wants its daughter to rule the state) — is in “sync with the party’s vision and consistent efforts” to ensure women get adequate representation on different forums.

    State minister and senior party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said at a press meet here that the TMC government helmed by Mamata Banerjee, after coming to power, raised the number of seats reserved for women at the panchayat level from 33 per cent to 50 per cent.

    “The TMC has 17 women MPs in Lok Sabha which is a record of sorts if compared to other parties. In Rajya Sabha, 41 per cent of TMC MPs are women. The party, after coming to power, increased women’s reservation in the three-tier panchayat system to 50 per cent from 33 per cent,” she said.

    Bhattacharya also pointed out the smart card doled out under the state-run health scheme, ‘Swasthya Sathi’, bears the name of the household matriarch, and her family members are registered as “other beneficiaries”.

    “The TMC has always worked for women empowerment, and the party’s election campaign ‘Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chay’, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its face, is in sync with the consistent efforts made to ensure women get better representation everywhere,” the minister said.

    The TMC dispensation has floated several welfare schemes for minor girls and widows, she stated.

    “The state government has received international accolades for its ‘Kanyashree’ scheme, meant to help girl children. Also, any widow over 18 years of age will now be eligible for a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000,” Bhattacharya added.

  • Commotion at BJP ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in Hooghly after Trinamool stops saffron party’s rally

    By PTI
    UTTARPARA: BJP’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ rally on Tuesday witnessed commotion when it was passing by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) party office at Uttarpara in Hooghly district.

    Activists of the TMC blocked G T Road as the rally neared its office leading to arguments between the workers of the ruling party and the BJP, police said.

    A timely intervention by the police prevented the situation from turning worse and the rally with BJP members chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ resumed its journey.

    TMC leader Tapas Roy said, the BJP was instigating trouble to disturb the prevailing peaceful environment in the state.

    “In the name of movement they are trying to foment trouble but we will not be swayed by any provocation,” he said.

    BJP leader Prabir Ghosal said the attempt by the TMC to create disturbance did not succeed as the stand-off lasted for a few minutes with the timely intervention by the police.

    TMC sources alleged that the BJP had installed a loudspeaker in front of the TMC party office and raised provocative slogans against the party and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee which incensed their activists.

    However, the saffron party denied the allegation as “baseless”.

    BJP chief J P Nadda had flagged off the party’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in poll-bound West Bengal in early February.

  • Congress forms screening committee for Bengal polls

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday constituted the party’s screening committee for the eight-phased West Bengal Assembly polls starting March 27 with Delhi leader J P Aggarwal as its chairman.

    The other members of the committee are Mahesh Joshi and Naseem Khan.

    The panel also has some ex-officio members, including the state Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president and the AICC in-charge for West Bengal.

    “Congress president has constituted the screening committee for the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal with immediate effect, with J P Aggarwal as its chairman,” an official statement from the party said.

    The ex-officio members include AICC in-charge for West Bengal Jitin Prasad, state PCC chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and CLP leader Abdul Mannan, besides the AICC secretaries in-charge for West Bengal.

    The panel would screen the probable party candidates and put forward its recommendations to the Central Election Committee of the Congress chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

    The Congress is contesting the West Bengal polls in a coalition with the Left parties and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), and has so far decided to contest on 92 seats in the 294-member Assembly.

  • ‘Prashant Kishor has left Mamata to join Amarinder’: BJP takes dig at poll strategist

    Kishor is working as a key strategist for the ruling TMC in West Bengal, with the state set to witness an eight-phase Assembly election starting March 27.

  • People of Bihar living in West Bengal will vote for development: Manoj Tiwari

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Tuesday said the people of Bihar living in West Bengal will vote for “development”, paying no attention to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has voiced support to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the upcoming Bengal polls.

    The Northeast Delhi MP, who hails from Bihar, said leaders from the state should stop treating its people as their vote bank in other states.

    “Tejashwi should have learnt his lesson from the Bihar polls, where people voted in favour of the BJP and the JD(U) due to their development aspirations.

    His appeal to the people from Bihar living in Bengal to support the TMC will fail as they will vote for the BJP and development,” Tiwari said.

    Seeking to forge unity among secular political parties in the West Bengal Assembly polls, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Yadav met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday and appealed to the people from Bihar domiciled in Bengal to vote for the ruling TMC.

    Yadav said the first priority of his party was to stop the BJP’s progress in West Bengal.

    He, however, ducked questions by journalists on whether the RJD will contest the election in an alliance with the TMC, saying the upcoming polls will be a fight for saving “ideals and values”.

    “Our party’s stand is to provide full support to Mamataji,” he said.

    Tiwari, a former Delhi BJP president and a popular Bhojpuri singer and actor, is likely to be one of the star campaigners for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal.

    The Assembly polls for 294 seats in the state will be held in eight phases starting March 27 and The results will be announced on May 2.

  • BJP will stop ‘Love Jihad’, cow smuggling in Bengal if voted to power: Yogi at Malda rally

    By PTI
    MALDA: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday lambasted his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee for allegedly pursuing appeasement politics and endangering national security by allowing illegal immigrants into the state for vote bank politics.

    He promised that cow smuggling will be stopped within a day if the BJP is voted to power in the state.

    Claiming that West Bengal, which had once led the nation, is now facing a lawless situation, Adityanath, while addressing a rally in Malda district’s Gazole, alleged that incidents of ‘Love Jihad’ are happening in the state, but the TMC government has failed to stop them.

    “Appeasement politics for the sake of vote bank has endangered the security of not only West Bengal but also of the country. The TMC government has a problem with refugees getting citizenship but has no issue with illegal immigrants coming to the state,” Adityanath said.

    Claiming that the raising of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan is not allowed in West Bengal, Adityanath said that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to the TMC government for “playing with their religious sentiments”.

    “Jai Shri Ram slogan is not allowed in West Bengal, but people won’t allow this to continue. ‘Love Jihad’ incidents are happening in Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, we have made a law to stop such incidents but the TMC government has failed to stop both cow smuggling and ‘Love Jihad’,” he said.

    “If the BJP is voted to power in West Bengal, we will stop cow smuggling within 24 hours,” he added.

    Elections to the 294-member assembly will be held in eight phases between March 27 and April 29.