News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal Elections 2021

  • Bengal polls: Mamata Banerjee says BJP’s rath yatra hurting people’s religious sentiments

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Slamming BJP’s rath yatra, CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the saffron camp of hurting the religious sentiments by moving in a “five-star rath and enjoying non-veg food” on public money. 

    Explaining how the BJP is hurting the religious sentiment, she said rath means Lord Jagannath’s chariot.

    “People from other states come to Bengal only to create problems. They don’t know the culture of Bengal. They are here to play dirty politics. Nowadays, they are roaming around like gods and goddesses in a five-star rath. For us, rath means Lord Jagannath’s chariot. But BJP is hurting the religious sentiments by roaming in a five-star rath and enjoying non-veg food and biryani. They are not here to create Sonar Bangla but to make it a Dangar (riot) Bangla,” said Mamata, while addressing a rally in Raiganj in north Bengal’s North Dinajpur district.

    ALSO READ: BJP to unleash Rajnath, Adityanath to breach TMC citadel Birbhum

    BJP leaders such as Union Home minister Amit Shah and the party’s national president JP Nadda never miss an opportunity to promise the people of Bengal that they will turn the state into Sonar Bangla after wresting power in 2021 Assembly elections.

    Referring to the largescale exodus from her party to the BJP, the Bengal CM labelled the defectors as greedy and hedonist. “BJP can buy a few people. But I will not allow them to sell out Bengal. Those who are quitting the TMC are lobhi (greedy) and bhogi (hedonist). But tyagis (the one who sacrifices) will never sell themselves,” she said.

    ALSO READ: TMC MLA writes to Mamata, expresses inability to contest 2021 polls

    In an oblique reference to her former aide Suvendu Adhikari’s defection to the BJP, Mamata said, “I am happy that Trinamool Congress has got rid of one such lobhi. Today, I would like to announce that I will promote tyagis to serve the people of Bengal.”

  • Bengal govt asks BJP to seek nod from local authorities for Rath Yatras

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Secretary’s office has asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to approach local authorities for getting permission for Rath Yatras.

    It stated “you may instead approach the appropriate authorities at local levels entrusted with maintenance of law and order including assemblies and processions etc., under relevant Laws and Regulations,” in a letter to Pratap Banerjee, State Vice President Election Office-in-Charge BJP, West Bengal dated February 2.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda are expected to flag off five yatras this month in the poll- bound West Bengal.

    JP Nadda is scheduled to flag off Rath Yatra on February 6 and February 9, while Amit Shah is expected to do so on February 11.

    The West Bengal Assembly Elections for 294 seats are scheduled to take place this year. However, the dates of the polls have not yet been announced by the Election Commission.

  • TMC issues show-cause notice to Uttarpara MLA after resignation from party posts

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal after his resignation from two party posts, alleging he was not being allowed carry on work in his constituency by a powerful section within the TMC.

    Ghosal, who made it clear that he will continue to be a member of the assembly and did not have immediate plans to desert the TMC, was asked to explain “why he discussed internal party affairs with the press” and cautioned “not to do such things in future”, a source said.

    He resigned as a member of the Hooghly district committee and also quit as TMC spokesperson.

    “I have been forced to take this decision as there is an active lobby in the party that is not allowing me to do my work in my constituency. I will still continue to be MLA keeping in mind the needs of people,” Ghoshal told reporters here.

    He also alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to defeat him in the upcoming assembly polls “if I contest again from the Uttarpara seat”.

    Ghoshal claimed the TMC fared poorly in the Lok Sabha polls from the seat due to “infighting” within the party.

    “An important road connecting Kanaipur with Nabagram is in poor shape since long, and all my representations to the higher authorities have failed.

    It seems a vested interest is at work to not allow good people to stay in the party,” the disgruntled TMC leader said.

    In Uttarpara, a group of TMC supporters demonstrated before his office in Konnagar, demanding that “all rotten products within the party be removed with immediate effect before they can sabotage it”.

    A TMC district leader said Ghosal could have sorted out differences with the party instead of going public.

    Meanwhile, another rebel party leader Rajib Banerjee, who had recently resigned as the state’s forest minister, vowed to contest from the Domjur constituency in the elections, due in April-May.

    “Wherever I go, I will contest from Domjur.

    The people of the constituency know which person always stands by their side.

    People of Domjur will prove who is the true member of their family,” he said when asked if he would attend the scheduled meeting of Home Minister Amit Shah in Howrah later in the week.

    After Banerjee quit, Srirampore TMC MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay had dared him to contest from Domjur if he decides to leave the party.

    Earlier Bally MLA Baishali Dalmiya was expelled from the party on grounds of breach of discipline.

    TMC sources said there was speculation that all the three might join the BJP during Shah’s meeting in the district.

    TMC turncoat and saffron party leader Suvendu Adhikari has said “they are welcome to join the BJP.”

  • Poll panel tells Bengal cops to shore up law and order

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: A full team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday instructed West Bengal’s Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Gyanwant Singh to execute all pending non-bailable arrest warrants by the end of this month.

    Assembly elections in the state are expected to take place in April. It is learnt that of the 50,000 pending arrests, nearly 12,000 were made in the last four days.

    “Singh reasoned that because of Covid-19 and cyclone Amphan, there were problems in executing warrants. He submitted a list of persons with criminal records, who operate from jails,” said a source.

    The commission also asked Singh to contain violence before the announcement of election dates. The agenda of the meeting convened by the ECI focused on Bengal’s law and order issues.

    Opposition parties often complain of bloodshed during polls in the state. The ECI met other agencies including BSF and CRPF to discuss deployment of forces. Sources in the commission said officials are particularly keen to find out security requirements in Junglemahal and border areas.

    “This time, the commission might ask for additional forces. As the number of booths has risen to 1,01,733 from 77,247, there are chances that the number of security personnel will see an increase of 25 per cent, compared to what was used for Lok Sabha polls,” said a commission official.

    The polls are likely to witness a tussle between TMC and BJP. Leaders of both sides have levelled charges against forces. TMC’s secretary-general Partha Chatterjee alleged BSF was threatening villagers to vote for a particular party, which the paramilitary dismissed. BJP leaders have accused the state police of being partial while imposing rules. 

    Three BJP men held for controversial chants

    Three BJP activists, including the Hooghly district youth wing chief Suresh Sahu, have been arrested for allegedly raising ‘goli maro…’ (shoot the traitors) slogan at a roadshow of party leader Suvendu Adhikari here, police said on Thursday.

    Some BJP activists had allegedly raised the slogan at a party programme in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Wednesday, following which district police registered a suo motu case and arrested them late at night, an officer said. The three will be produced at a court on Friday

  • TMC cries foul after Cleric floats party

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Prominent Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui of Furfura Sharif in Hooghly district on Thursday launched a political party named Indian Secular Front (ISF), announcing his intent to enter the fray for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. This is seen in certain quarters as a threat to chip away at the ruling Trinamool Congress’s minority vote base.

    Unveiling the new entity’s green and navy blue flag, Siddiqui said the party will announce later how many seats it will contest in. He did not rule out an alliance with the CPI(M) and Congress.

    “Our party’s prime agenda will be betterment of Muslims and those who belong to other backward classes. The CPI(M) and Congress have sent fillers. Both asked me to float the party first,” said Siddiqui.

    Political observers likened ISF to the AIMIM, which won five seats in the Bihar assembly elections, along the Bengal border region. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had met  Siddiqui at Furfura Sharif earlier this month and said his party would contest elections in Bengal under the leadership of the cleric.

    Asked about TMC’s allegation that ISF’s participation would benefit BJP, Siddiqui said: “I would like to ask the ruling party to answer my question who has brought the BJP in Bengal. The TMC did not keep promises made in 2011. Instead, they triggered communal discord in the state.”

    He also said the door of his party would remain open for all organisations to form a grand alliance and the TMC needed rectification before approaching alliance with the ISF.

    Muslims constitute about 31 per cent of voters in West Bengal and are seen as a vote bank of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

    There are around 125 minority-dominated constituencies and 85 where Muslims voters are above 35 per cent. On his uncle Twaha Siddiqui’s stance against the decision of contesting in elections, Siddiqui said,

    “Most of the clerics in Bengal are with me. If one or two are not, how does it matter?” Twaha is also a cleric in Furfura Sharif. TMC MP Saugata Roy described the development as a strategy of BJP.

    “It is known that AIMIM is working for BJP and the ISF will play the same role in Bengal. But it will not cause any dent on our electoral strength,” he said. BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said ISF’s appearance would increase the pulse rate of chief minister Banerjee.

  • Country staring at food crisis, famine because of BJP: Mamata

    By PTI
    RANAGHAT: The country is staring at a food crisis and famine because of the “adamant” approach of the BJP to the continued agitation by farmers for withdrawal of the three new farm laws, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

    She also called the BJP a “junk” party for inducting “rotten” leaders from other political outfits.

    Reaffirming her opposition to the NRC, CAA and NPR, Banerjee, while reaching out to the Nadia district’s Matua population, said all refugees will be granted land rights, and no one can banish them from the country.

    “The country is staring at a food crisis. There will be famine and food shortage if the BJP continues to remain adamant on the farm laws. The Centre is trying to create famine through these farm bills.

    “The farmers are assets of our country and we should not do anything that goes against their interest,” she said, addressing a TMC rally here in Nadia district.

    The TMC supremo also demanded immediate repeal of the three farm laws as sought by farmers agitating at Delhi’s borders.

    “We stand by the farmers and their demands. On one hand the BJP is lecturing us on farmers’ issues and on the other it is torturing the farmers who are protesting against the laws. So many farmers were beaten up in Haryana and Punjab,” she said.

    Unleashing a stinging attack on the BJP over the party inducting a raft of leaders from other political parties, including her own, Banerjee said the saffron outfit had turned itself into a washing machine where “tainted leaders come out clean after joining it”.

    “BJP is the biggest junk party in the country. It’s a dustbin party filling up its rank and file with corrupt and rotten leaders from other parties.

    “You must have seen some (TMC) leaders switch over to the BJP.

    They have done it to protect the public money they had looted.

    We were removing them from our party.

    The BJP runs the party like a washing machine, where corrupt leaders turn into saints the moment they join them,” she said.

    Alleging that there’s virtual “dictatorship” in the country, Banerjee said the saffron party uses either money or muscle power to poach leaders from other parties.

    Talking about the recent defections from the TMC, Banerjee said the BJP might have “bought a few leaders”, but it can never buy her off.

    “They (BJP) are afraid of me as I have not bowed down before them,” she asserted.

    Slamming the saffron camp over the Citizenship (amendment) Act, the TMC boss said, those born in this country are its legitimate citizens.

    “All refugee colonies in the state have been recognised by the West Bengal government.

    All refugee families will have land holding rights.

    We have started the process and several families have already got it.

    “No one can remove you from here.

    You are born here and are citizens of this country.

    You don’t need the BJP’s certificate to prove your citizenship,” she asserted.

    Reaching out to the Matua community that constitutes roughly 40 per cent population of Nadia district, Banerjee said, the BJP was trying to “fool” them with the promise of citizenship.

    “I want to assure everyone that no one needs to be afraid of the NRC, NPR and CAA.

    ” The Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are a scheduled caste group, who entered India, particularly West Bengal, after Partition and creation of Bangladesh.

    While many of them have got Indian citizenship, a sizeable number has not.

    The BJP had made significant gains in the district in the last Lok Sabha polls and bagged the Ranaghat seat.

    Nadia has two Lok Sabha seats.

    She exuded confidence about returning to power for the third consecutive time with an even bigger mandate.

    She also drew a parallel between BJP cadres and US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the Capitol recently.

    “They have ruined the entire country, and now they want to ruin Bengal.

    The BJP is a party of liars.

    Lies, lies and more lies is the characteristic of the BJP.

    The day the BJP loses elections, its cadre and supporters will behave like those of Trump and say they disagree with the poll results,” she said.

    Calling BJP president J P Nadda’s lunch at a tribal household in the state on January 9 a “show off”, Banerjee claimed that the food items served to him were cooked at five-star hotels.

    Accusing the BJP of being a “party of outsiders” trying to “destroy” the state’s culture, Banerjee said West Bengal will never allow the saffron party’s “hate politics” to triumph over secularism.

    “BJP leaders from other states are coming here with money bags.

    If they offer you money, take it but don’t cast a single vote for them,” she said.

    Reacting to Banerjee’s comments, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the TMC leader has sensed that the days of her government are numbered.

    “Why is she now calling leaders who have joined the BJP corrupt? If they were corrupt, then why did the TMC government not take any action against them for so many years?” he asked.

  • Alternative policies needed to foil BJP, TMC efforts to turn Bengal polls bipolar event: Sitaram Yechury

    Yechury said that in order to maintain a democratic and secular system, it is imperative to keep the BJP away from the power and defeat it in the elections.