Assembly Election 2021 News LIVE Updates: Cong Releases Candidates List for Puducherry Polls, No Ticket for Ex-CM Narayanasamy

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Jain cheekily also scribbled “With utmost regards” while signing the letter.

Earlier, at a rally in Mejia, Banerjee said no one will stop her from taking forward her battle against the BJP. “Amit Shah is getting frustrated as there is a poor turnout at his rallies. Instead of running the country, he is sitting in Kolkata and hatching a conspiracy to harass TMC leaders. What do they want? Do they want to kill me? Do they think that they will win this election by killing me? They are wrong,” she said.

Banerjee also wondered whether the Election Commission has lost its independence, and alleged that the poll panel is working as per Shah’s instructions. “Is Amit Shah running the EC? He is giving instructions to the EC. What happened to their independence? My director, security (Vivek Sahay) was removed (by EC) as per his instructions,” she alleged.

All senior BJP leaders in Bengal are flying to Delhi tonight amid speculations that the saffron party is facing internal conflict over its list of candidates for the upcoming assembly polls as it mounts a high-voltage campaign against the Mamata-led TMC on a war footing.

Mukul Roy and Dilip Ghosh are among those summoned to Delhi on an urgent basis, sources told CNN-News18. Rumour mills are abuzz that both senior leaders will be fielded as candidates.

The BJP’s core group meeting has been scheduled to address the issue at 10 am tomorrow.

A week after he quit the Congress, senior leader PC Chacko joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the presence of Party supremo Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Praful Patel.

Chacko, a former Lok Sabha MP, said the need of the hour is a united front against the BJP which ‘I  could not see that in the party where I was earlier’.

“My association with the left parties is not new. Today when I join the NCP, I will be part of LDF. I have been given instruction by Sharad Pawar ji to travel all across Kerala.”

“LDF will come back to power,” he asserted.

“There are two fronts in Kerala. One is led by the Congress another by the Left. I left Congress, so naturally, I have to take a position. I can support the LDF,” Chacko was quoted as saying earlier in the day.

The Election Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement of free delivery of ration at the doorstep.

Commission has sought a report from Purulia district authorities on whether Banerjee promised any new public welfare scheme in violation of MCC

Commission has asked for videos of Banerjee’s public meeting to ascertain the matter. The TMC is scheduled to release its poll manifesto on Wednesday where it is likely to announce ‘Duare Ration’ scheme to deliver free ration to households if it comes to power

Banerjee allegedly made that announcement during her public meeting in Purulia on Monday.

In a big push to Hindutva, BJP National President JP Nadda, who is campaigning in West Bengal, promised to bring all “left-out” Hindu castes under the ambit of OBC.

“The BJP government will constitute a commission and recommend their inclusion,” BJP Spokesperson Amit Malviya tweeted.

Pishi denied them this reservation for a decade, he added.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh hit out at the TMC on Tuesday as it accused the Mamata Banerjee-led party of corruption and political foulplay.

“West Bengal is now known for it’s cut money… not one person in the world can point out a figure and call BJP a corrupt party, he said at a rally in the Sabang constituency.

“Isn’t it correct that bombs are made in West Bengal, and political workers are killed? The day we form the government, we will see who has had ‘Maa Ka Dudh’ to make bombs and attack people,” Defence Minister & BJP leader Rajnath Singh in West Midnapore, West Bengal

Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta, nominated by the BJP for the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, resigned from the Upper House today amid a row over his nomination. The TMC had decided to move a disqualification notice against Dasgupta for “violating the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution”, after the BJP gave him ticket to contest. The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution says a nominated member of Parliament shall be disqualified if he or she joins a political party after the expiry of six months from the date of taking the seat. The BJP announced Sunday that Dasgupta would be the party’s candidate from Tarakeshwar constituency in Bengal that is going to assembly polls in eight phases starting March 27.

Protests were held across West Bengal after several aspirants criticised the party and resigned after they were denied tickets for the assembly elections. BJP leader and TMC turncoat Sovan Chatterjee along with with his friend Baisakhi Bandopadhyay quit the party after both of them were denied tickets. Chatterjee’s constituency for several decades, Behala Purba, was given to actor-turned- politician Payel Sarkar, who joined the party a few days back. Sovan requested the BJP leadership that he wanted to contest from Behala East but the party has given him the ticket to contest from Behala West.

In a letter to BJP State President Dilip Ghosh, Sovan mentioned, “I fondly remember how you took the initiative of inducting me into the party in 2019. You have always been encouraging but a few minutes back, I got a call from Shiv Prakash ji (National Joint Secretary, Organisation) who told me that the party has decided to give me ticket from Behala West. Also, the party has decided not to give Baisakhi Banerjee, Co-convenor, Kolkata Zone any ticket from anywhere. I feel extremely humiliated and pained to accept this decision as being a public representative for thirty six year.” His letter reads, “As a Mayor and minister, I have contributed to the development of not only Behala, but entire Kolkata. My commitment to the people of West Bengal at large cannot be denied even by my Opposition parties. But the party’s decision not to give me nomination from Behala East is a moral defeat for me and I have never compromised with my principles.”

On the context of Baisakhi Banerjee’s resignation, he mentioned, “Whenever, I have interacted with you, I clearly said that Baisakhi and I have contributed jointly and in a very small span of time, she has managed to garner huge support in the entire Kolkata zone, especially in Behala. But you have decided to overlook her contribution and have decided not to give her an opportunity to contest the election. Therefore, I tender my protest against that also.”

In August 14, 2019, Sovan Chatterjee joined the BJP and then many in the political fraternity questioned that how he will survive in politics due to his hibernation for nearly two years (after resigning from the TMC in November 2018) coupled with health related issues.

On October 29, 2019, Sovan and Baisakhi sprung a surprise after they met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on the occasion of ‘Bhai Phonta’ (Bhai Dooj).

Then, sensing that Sovan, Mamata’s once blue-eyed boy ‘Kanan’ (as he was fondly called), may rejoin the TMC, the BJP reached out to him. Then, the first one to approach him was Arvind Menon (BJP National Secretary) followed by other senior party leaders over telephone.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

‘Like Sourav Ganguly, BJP Too Would Hit a 6 in Polls’: With Local Connect, Rajnath Singh Woos Bengal

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


In a move to connect to the local people ahead of polls, Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday invoked Bengali icon and former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly in his speech. He said that like Ganguly hit a six, with the state’s support, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would too hit a six in the assembly elections.

“Whenever Sourav Ganguly crossed the crease, it was sure that he would hit a six. Likewise, with your support in Lok Sabha, we’ve crossed the crease and surely we’ll hit a six in assembly polls and form BJP govt here,” Singh said in West Midnapore.

Ganguly, the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had recently suffered a mild stroke. According to doctors, three arteries of the 48-year-old were blocked by over 70 per cent and he received a stent in one of the arteries.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and state governor Jagdeep Dhankhar were the first to visit the former India skipper at the hospital. He received calls from the home minister and the prime minister inquiring about his health.

Dhankhar also met the cricketer at Raj Bhavan for the first time, in the over two years he has spent in office. Pictures of the meeting had also gone viral on all social platforms.

According to a report in Indian Express, the hospital authorities had set up a special ‘Sourav Ganguly lounge’ with tea, coffee and water dispensers for visitors who went there without permission. At the lounge, health updates of the former cricketer were shared with the fans at regular intervals.

There were speculations of Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, Mithun Chakraborty and cricketer Sourav Ganguly joining the BJP. However, while Ganguly and Chatterjee haven’t yet joined the saffron brigada, Chakraborty became a member a few days ago.

The ruling Trinamool Congress, however, feels that this is a BJP strategy “to confuse people”. “By clicking pictures with Sourav Ganguly or Bumba Da (Prosenjit) or Mithun Da, who are immensely popular among Bengalis, BJP is trying to create confusion. Like every other false agenda they bring, this is another fake narrative,” the TMC Rajya Sabha MP and theatre director Arpita Ghosh was quoted as saying by The Print before Chakraborty’s entry into the BJP.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Assembly Elections LIVE Updates: Didi’s Nomination Papers ‘Defective’, Alleges Suvendu Adhikari

[ad_1]

Read More/Less



Attacking both Congress and BJP, she said, ‘The Congress is like an immovable rock which doesn’t work, except brokering with the BJP in this area. Drive out both of them.’ The chief minister also chanted ‘Khela Hobey’ slogan.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

BJP Leader Visits Sisir Adhikari at His Residence, Speculation Rife Over TMC MP’s Next Move

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on Saturday visited the residence of TMC’s Lok Sabha member Sisir Adhikari, who is also the father of political heavyweight and the saffron party’s Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari, raising speculation that the veteran leader might switch camp ahead of the Bengal assembly polls. Chatterjee, who had lunch at the Adhikari residence at Contai, stressed that it was ”courtesy call”, and Sisir Adhikaris political move was not discussed during the meeting, even as political corridors went abuzz with murmurs that the TMC MP might join the saffron camp during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state later this month.

Sources told News18 that Locket Chatterjee has invited Sisir Adhikari to PM Modi’s Contai on March 24.

”It was a courtesy lunch. Sisirda is a senior politician and the Adhikari family is synonymous with Medinipur (of which Nandigram is a part). He had once praised my Lok Sabha speech. We share good rapport. He requested me to visit him again,” the BJP leader said. She, however, clarified that the BJP would welcome the TMC MP with open arms if he decides to join the party.

Sisir Adhikari, on his part, told reporters that two of his sons are BJP members, and ”Locket visiting his residence should not surprise anyone. Why should anyone have their eyebrows raised when a leader makes a courtesy visit?” Veteran TMC leader Sougata Roy, when approached, said ”Sisirda has largely remained inactive in the recent times…We will urge him not to join the ’dal badal’ (party changing) game, given his advanced age and ailments.” BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya claimed that all of Purba Medinipur wants the Adhikari family patriarch to join the saffron camp.

Notably, Suvendu Adhikari and his brother Soumendu, who also joined the BJP two months ago, were not at home during the BJP MP’s visit to their residence. Their other brother, Dibyendu — also a TMC MP – was present at the lunch meet.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Assembly Elections 2021 LIVE Updates: Amit Shah, Sarbananda Sonowal Reach Nadda’s Home for Meet

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Assembly Elections 2021 News LIVE Updates: The BJP on Saturday is all set to declare names for candidates for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The meeting will start at 5 pm on Saturday.

The BJP Kerala core group meeting will also take place at party chief JP Nadda’s residence in Delhi before the CEC meeting. Apart from Nadda, Amit Shah, BL Santhosh, K Surendran were also present. This was the meeting ahead of CEC on Saturday.

While Mamata Banerjee has been discharged from hospital on Friday, and left the hospital in a wheelchair, the TMC has already announced an event on Saturday to induct into the party “an eminent personality”. TMC MP Derek O’ Brien, anchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee, and TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay will be present for the event that will be held in Trinamool Bhavan.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Assembly Elections 2021 News LIVE Updates: Smriti Irani to Show Support At Suvendu Adhikari Rally; TMC to Meet EC Over Mamata Injury

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Assembly Elections 2021 News LIVE Updates: While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was in hospital, it was learnt that programmes on her schedule for the next two days have been cancelled because of her condition.

Meanwhile, a medical board will re-examine her at 11 am on Friday to take a decision on when she can be discharged.

While a TMC delegation met the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer and insisted the Election Commission cannot absolve itself of culpability in Banerjee’s accident, insisting that maintaining law and order was the EC’s responsibility once the election has been announced, the EC sent a strongly-worded letter to the Trinamool Congress saying it looks “undignified to even respond” to allegations that the poll panel is doing things in the state at the behest of a “particular party”.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

10 Big Ticket Resignations That Have Jolted Parties Ahead of Elections

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


As many as 170 MLAs left the Congress to join other parties during the elections held between 2016-2020, while only 18 BJP legislators switched parties to contest the polls in this period, according to a report by poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report said between 2016-2020, 182 of the 405 re-contesting MLAs, who switched political parties, joined the BJP, followed by 38 who joined the Congress and 25 who joined the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Here’s a look at some of the prominent names that quit parties or switched sides ahead of elections:

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Jyotiraditya Scindia had switched over to the BJP in March 2020 along with 22 supporter MLAs. Their resignation from the Congress and the MP Assembly led to the fall of the Kamal Nath government on March 20, and return of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister on March 23. In his resignation letter, Scindia said he was unable to serve the country and his state while remaining in the Congress.

Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP on December 19, 2020 days after he resigned from the Trinamool Congress and gave up his cabinet portfolios in the Mamata Banerjee government. In an open letter addressed to the grassroots members of the Trinamool Congress, Adhikari said West Bengal is standing at a critical juncture as the people of the state are destined to make a choice in the 2021 Assembly elections that will impact them forever. Adhikari said that “an extremely deep rot and malaise” has set in in the Trinamool Congress.

Dinesh Trivedi

On February 12 this year, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dinesh Trivedi resigned from Rajya Sabha over “violence” taking place in Bengal ahead of assembly elections. He further said that he was feeling ‘restless’, ‘suffocated’ and finding it difficult to work in the TMC for quite some time. Trivedi joined the BJP on March 6, 2021.

Ramesh Jarkiholi

Congress rebel Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned and joined BJP in 2019. In June 2016, he was inducted into the Siddaramaiah-led government of Karnataka as a cabinet minister. He held the Small Scale Industries Ministry portfolio. He was disqualified from the assembly as per the anti-defection law in 2019, but was re-elected to the assembly on a BJP ticket in December 2019.

Tom Vadakkan

Once a key aide to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, prominent spokesperson Tom Vadakkan left the party after serving for almost two decades for its leaders in March 2019. He attacked his party for its stand on the Balakot airstrike as ‘sad’ and joined BJP in the presence of the then party president Amit Shah and minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Sabita Indra Reddy

Sabitha Indra Reddy was Home Minister in the Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh. On June 7, 2019, five Congress MLAs, led by senior MLA Sabita Indra Reddy, met TRS working president K T Rama Rao and submitted a list of 12 MLAs willing to join the ruling party.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee Chief and MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi quit Congress and joined BJP in October 2016. She hit out at Rahul Gandhi and top leaders saying the leadership was not acceptable to people as the grand old party had lost its reputation under them.

Khushbu Sundar

Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar quit the Congress on Monday to join the BJP saying that she had realised that the nation can only move forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She joined the saffron party at its national headquarters. In her career in politics, Khushbu first served in the DMK and then joined Congress. With the BJP, she begins her 3rd innings in politics. Khushbu, while resigning, in a letter to Sonia Gandhi also protested against what she termed as some leaders’ “dictating terms”.

Urmila Matondkar

Bollywood actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar, who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket, quit the party in barely five months saying she did not wish to be used for “petty in-house politics”. “It is obvious that the key functionaries of Mumbai Congress are either unable or not committed to bring about a change and transformation in the organisation for the betterment of the party,” she said in a statement to the media. She later joined the Shiv Sena.

PC Chacko

Kerala Congress leader PC Chacko on Wednesday submitted his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi saying that it had become difficult to be a Congress leader in Kerala. This comes even as the party has been finalising its list in Kerala that goes to polls on April 6. “No democracy left in Congress. Candidate list has not been discussed with the state Congress committee. I have sent my resignation to Sonia Gandhi,” he said. He has, however, denied plans of joining BJP so far.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Nandigram ‘attack’: CM Mamata appeals for peace; BJP demands CBI probe, says ‘drama’ won’t yield results

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Appealing to her party workers and supporters to maintain peace, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was injured after being allegedly pushed by some unknown miscreants in Nandigram, said Thursday that she would resume work possibly in two to three days.

“I’m hoping I can get back to my daily schedule after 2 or 3 days. But owing to the condition of my leg, there would be a problem but I will manage it. I won’t cancel any of my meetings… I might have to travel on a wheelchair in order to do it,” she was seen saying in a video message on Facebook.

“I am appealing to all to remain calm and maintain peace. I ask all to please refrain from doing anything that would cause problem to common man,” Mamata further said.

Explaining her condition from the hospital where she has been admitted to, Mamata said, “I was doing ‘namaskar’ standing on the bonnet of my car, at that time pressure was exerted, because of which my leg was hit by the car. In that condition, whatever medicine I was carrying I had those and soon we left for Kolkata. Since then, the doctors are treating me.”

The chief minister was hospitalised after she was injured during her campaign in Nandigram, from where she also filed her nomination for the upcoming assembly elections. The doctors have said that she has suffered severe bone injuries in her left ankle and foot and mild injuries in her right shoulder, forearm and neck. Although her condition is stated to be “stable”, the doctors are planning to conduct a series of medical tests, including a CT scan, to assess the degree of her injury.

Injured West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrives at SSKM hospital in Kolkata. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

With the assembly elections around the corner, Mamata and her party Trinamool Congress have claimed a conspiracy behind the incident while the BJP alleged that this was “tactics to gain sympathy.”

“This is a conspiracy. Some people intentionally pushed me. No administration was there to protect me. The police superintendent was also not there. They basically came here to hurt me. I have decided to return to Kolkata right now,” said Banerjee, who visible appeared shaken and in pain.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee admitted at SSKM hospital after suffering injuries during her Nandigram visit on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (PTI Photo)

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought a report from West Bengal Chief Secretary Allapan Bandyopadhyay, its general observer Ajay Naik and special police observer Vivek Dubey on the incident by 5pm Friday.

TMC workers protest attack on Mamata

Trinamool Congress supporters took to the streets across the state to protest against the alleged attack, blocking roads, burning tyres and raising slogans blaming the BJP. Protests were held in different areas of Kolkata, including Chetla and Sovabazar. Besides, demonstrations were also held in Howrah, Bankura, Jalpaiguri, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur and North 24 Parganas, among others. The ruling party activists took to the streets and
burnt tyres to protest against her political conspirators in Nadigram’s Birulia Bazar area where Banerjee sustained injuries.

A scuffle also broke out between the Trinamool Congress activists and a group of BJP workers in the Birulia area Thursday morning but the situation was soon brought under control.

Police files FIR

Meanwhile, a case has been registered in connection with the attack on the chief minister, following a complaint lodged by TMC leader Sheikh Sufian. The case was lodged under IPC sections 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), a senior police officer of the Purba Medinipur district told PTI.

Today morning, senior district officials visited the area in Nandigram where the incident happened and also spoke to eye-witnesses, besides looking for any CCTV installed in the area to ascertain the exact sequence of events.

TMC holds EC responsible for security lapse

The TMC has slammed the Election Commission for failing to provide security to Mamata Banerjee and demanded the poll body to take responsibility for the attack. Accusing the EC of acting “as per orders” of the BJP leaders, a three-member TMC delegation after meeting the EC officials in Kolkata today, alleged that the “Election Commission did nothing despite there being reports of a possible attack on Banerjee” adding that “The law and order situation in Bengal was good. But, after the announcement of elections, law and order become the responsibility of the EC.”

“The EC removed DGP of the state police and the very next day she was attacked,” TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said. The delegation has also registered a complaint into the incident and demanded a thorough investigation.

BJP demands CBI probe

BJP’s West Bengal unit has demanded a a CBI probe into the alleged attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying that it needs to be seen whether the incident was a “well-scripted drama” to garner votes.

Speaking to reporters, state party president Dilip Ghosh said that the people of the state have seen such “drama” earlier as well. “It needs to be probed what actually happened. How come a Z-plus protectee gets attacked is a matter that has to be looked into. The state should order a CBI probe to bring out the truth,” he said and added that “such drama would not yield any results this time.”

TMC manifesto release postponed

In the wake of the attack on Mamata, the Trinamool Congress has postponed the release of its manifesto for the upcoming elections in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to release the manifesto Thursday afternoon at her residence in Kalighat. However, a senior TMC leader said the manifesto will not released without the CM. “The manifesto release has been postponed for the time being. It will be released after Mamata Banerjee gets well and is back home. Although our manifesto is ready, there is no question of releasing it without her.”

BJP delegation meets Mamata

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders today visited the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata where the chief minister Mamata is undergoing treatment. However, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who also visited the hospital Wednesday night to check on her health, had to face “go-back” slogans from the TMC supporters.

Several leaders from across the country have condemned the alleged attack on the Bengal CM.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for immediate arrest of the accused, while Bihar’s opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav said that those responsible should not be spared as he asserted that the West Bengal police is now under the control of the Election Commission. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also condemned the incident.

Mamata is pitted against her former confidante Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP some time ago, in the Nandigram constituency that will go to poll on April 1 in the second phase. The eight-phased elections to the 294 seats in West Bengal will be held between March 27 and April 29. The results will be declared on May 2.

With PTI inputs

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Free Ration Delivery, Focus on Health & Jobs: TMC Manifesto to Have Prashant Kishor Stamp

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Two-term anti-incumbency and a ferocious BJP campaign has put pressure on the Trinamool Congress to come out with a promising manifesto.

Carefully choosing Maha Shivratri to release the manifesto as part of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s efforts to counter the BJP’s Hindutva card, sources say the manifesto will be a list of 10 commitments which the TMC will make.

This is similar to what was done under political strategist Prashant Kishor’s direction in states like Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. The manifesto will be along the lines of ‘Nitish ke Saat Nischay’, ‘Captain ke Nau Nukhte’, ‘Jagan ke Nau Ratnalu’ and ‘Stalin’s Seven Promises’.

One such promise will be about free delivery of ration. This has been an issue since the Left regime as ration shops and delivery have been dens of corruption. Even during the present regime, it was felt that the real beneficiaries were not getting the benefits. Sources say the commitment will talk about free ration delivery every month at doorstep so that people will no longer need to go to ration shops. This would ensure elimination of middlemen and promote delivery.

The focus of the manifesto is expected to be on health, women and jobs too. The BJP manifesto is expected by the weekend and there too, the imprint of Centre’s flagship scheme can be seen in its vision document.

The BJP and TMC are engaged in a fierce face-off ahead of the assembly elections in the state where the BJP is keen to occupy Banerjee’s turf as she puts up a tough battle. A series of desertions from the Trinamool Congress seem to have put Banerjee on the back foot, though she insists that those jumping ship would be taught a lesson by the electorate in the polls.

The chief minister faces her former confidant Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP, in Nandigram. For 50-year-old Adhikari, the battle is one of political survival since he has claimed that he will quit politics if he is unable to defeat Banerjee.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

We give free rice, let Modi give free LPG: Mamata | India News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


KOLKATA: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee hit the streets of Kolkata on International Women’s Day, walking from College Street to Esplanade and tugging at women voters’ heartstrings while urging them not to vote for a party that has made “managing household budgets so difficult”.
“How do you feel when you get food rations free but have to spend Rs 900 to cook that food?” she said after leading a women’s rally. “We give free rice. Let him (PM Narendra Modi) give free gas,” she added, tearing into Modi for starting his regular Bengal visits just before the election to vilify the state and “spread canards” about it.
She appealed to Bengal’s “mothers and sisters” to give a befitting reply to the “pack of lies” being spread by “Modi babu” and “Shah-da” (Union home minister Amit Shah) on the safety and security of women in Bengal. “Jotoi koro jumla, jabab debe Bangla (Bengal will give an answer to your falsehoods),” Mamata said.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

1 2 3