The UDF and the LDF in Kerala are in the last state if seat sharing talks. In Tamil Nadu the DMK will declare likely declare its first list on March 10.
The Trinamool Congress Elections committee will be held at chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on Friday.
Meanwhile the BJP held meetings on Thursday to decide on their candidate for the polls. News18 learnt that the BJP is unlikely to field any MPs for these polls.
The BJP will also hold a meeting at their Hastings office in Kolkata at 5 pm on Friday even as their star candidate, a TMC turncoat, Suvendu Adhikari addresses a public meeting in Panskura.
The BJP on Thursday urged the Election Commission to remove “political appointees” from various boards of administrators in civic bodies appointed by the West Bengal government, saying it appointed the same representatives who had completed their term of five years in blatant violation of constitutional and legal provisions. A BJP delegation, including Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, two party general secretaries Bhupender Yadav and Kailash Vijayvargiya, Om Pathak and Sanjay Mayukh, submitted a representation to the poll watchdog, asking it to take necessary steps for ensuring free, fair and transparent assembly elections in the state.
Special observer for the elections in West Bengal Ajay Nayak and police observer Vivek Dubey are supposed to arrive in Kolkata on Friday to overview preparedness for the polls.
In Assam too, the BJP is likely to announce a list of candidates on Friday
After a decade of losing power, the Left Front, in alliance with the Congress and the newly formed Indian Secular Front (ISF) on Sunday projected itself as a “third alternative force” in the emerging TMC versus BJP political binary in West Bengal, but chinks were evident in the nascent alliance. The Left-Congress-ISF alliance kicked off its campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal with a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.
At the rally, leaders of the CPI(M)-headed Left Front called for “knocking out the communal TMC and BJP, and stressed the need for a third alternative to provide a “Janhit Sarkar” (people’s welfare government) to ensure employment generation and usher in industrial development in the state. State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said that the grand alliance of the Left-Congress and other secular forces won’t let the West Bengal assembly elections to be a two- cornered contest and would defeat both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP.
However, a discordant note was sounded by ISF chief Abbas Siddiqui who, unhappy with the progress of seat-sharing talks with the Congress, issued a veiled threat to the party. Siddiqui vowed to defeat the TMC and the BJP and ensure that the Mamata Banerjee-led party becomes a “zero” after the assembly elections, but in a word of caution for the Congress, with which the party’s talks are in choppy waters, said that the ISF is here to become a partner and get its rightful claims.
The TMC and the BJP slammed the Left and the Congress accusing them of surrendering before a “communal force” like the ISF. Accusing the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP of dividing people on communal lines to serve their political interests, West Bengal CPI(M) secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said that the state needs a government that would work for its development and would not be a “copycat” of the TMC and the BJP.
“Both the TMC and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. They plan to divide people on communal lines and rule.We have seen how TMC leaders are joining the BJP lock, stock and barrel.
Except for the chief minister and some other leaders, the rest have switched over to the BJP. Both the TMC and the BJP now stand unmasked. We, the Left along with the Congress, would provide an alternative to people,” Mishra said. He said that the state needs a government that can take up industrialisation and generate employment for youths both in government and the private sectors.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the Trinamool Congress has to be defeated first to stop the communal bandwagon of the RSS-BJP and claimed that the TMC might rejoin the NDA to form the government in West Bengal in case of a hung assembly. “Many people ask me what we would do in case of a hung assembly. I tell them to direct their question to the TMC as they are in the best position to answer it.
“The TMC has been part of the NDA (for several years) since 1998. It was part of the NDA government (at the Centre).In case of a hung assembly, I am confident that the TMC would join hands with the BJP to form the state’s government,” he said.
Terming the ongoing political tussle between the TMC and the BJP as a “mock fight”, Yechury alleged that the saffron party is using money from the PM CARES fund, set up to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, to “buy” leaders during the time of elections. “Our call is we want a Janhit Sarkar in Bengal for its overall development and protection of the rights of the masses,” he said.
CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim said that the grand alliance would give a “knock out” punch to the communal TMC and the BJP. “We are fighting for changing the situation in Bengal, and some people are busy changing sides. Those who looted public money in chit fund scams are now switching parties. If we are voted to power, we will auction properties of corrupt leaders to return the looted money,” he said.
The Left Front ruled the state for 34 years since 1977 and its government was ousted by the TMC in 2011. Addressing the rally, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury asserted that the massive gathering proved that the election will not be a two-cornered contest.
“Morning is the harbinger of the day, and this meeting proves that both the TMC and the BJP will be defeated in the coming election. The goal of the grand alliance is to ensure the victory of secularism and democracy and to defeat communal and repressive politics in Bengal,” he said. “In Delhi, the BJP talks of getting rid of the opposition. In Bengal, the TMC talks of opposition free elections. The BJP and the TMC want that other than the two, there should not exist any other political force in Bengal and no other party should come between them, he said.
ISF president Siddiqui asserted that people of West Bengal would teach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “a lesson for her arrogance” and ensure that her party becomes politically insignificant after elections. The ISF was floated by Siddiqui, an influential Muslim cleric of Hooghly district’s Furfura Sharif last month.
“We don’t want appeasement. We want our rightful claims, just like any other citizen of this country. We too have equal rights,” Siddiqui said. The BJP often accuses the TMC of appeasing Muslims for vote bank politics.
Expressing his gratitude for the West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose for accommodating his fledgeling party in the grand alliance by sharing 30 seats, Siddiqui said that ISF activists and supporters will fight until the last to ensure the Left Front’s victory and its allies in various parts of the state. However, he said, “I didn’t speak about the Congress.
I am here (in politics) to be a partner, not for any kind of appeasement. I am here to get my rightful claims.” The ruling TMC and the opposition BJP slammed the Left’s brigade rally and accused them of surrendering before a “communal force” like ISF. The TMC claimed that the Left has surrendered before a communal force like the ISF.
“It is now proved that both the Left and the BJP are communal forces. The TMC is the only secular party,” senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said. Alleging that the Brigade rally was sponsored by the TMC, BJP leaders said that both the Left and the Congress would fail to make their presence felt in the elections.
The Election Commission of India had on Friday announced an eight-phase poll in West Bengal, which will commence on March 27 and conclude on April 29. Counting will be held on May 2.
Questioning the eight-phase assembly elections in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said she suspects the dates were announced as per the suggestions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for better management of the BJP’s poll campaign.
Addressing a press conference at her residence in Kalighat, Banerjee said the Election Commission should not look at the state “through the eyes of the saffron camp” — a reference to the BJP.
“With all due respect to the Election Commission, I want to say that questions are being raised on why elections will be held in so many phases in Bengal while other states will be voting in one phase. If EC doesn’t provide justice to the people, where will the people go,” she said, adding that despite “all these tricks”, she will win the elections.
”I have information from my sources that the poll dates are similar to the ones BJP wanted. Have the dates been announced as per the suggestions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah? The PM and the home minister cannot misuse their power for the state elections,” she added.
Banerjee said she is the daughter of the state and knows Bengal better than the BJP, exuding confidence about her party Trinamool Congress winning the elections.
The first phase of polling in West Bengal will be on March 27, the second phase on April 1, the third phase on April 6 and the fourth on April 10. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth phases will be held on April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29, respectively.
The EC will appoint two special observers for Bengal and a third can also be sent if required, said Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora in response to queries on whether enough arrangements are in place for the polls in the state where many have been raising questions about political violence.
Responding to questions on the increased number of phases in Bengal, Arora said when the EC assesses the law and order situation, it is based on several factors. “After all the elections to West Bengal (assembly) in 2016 was in seven phases. The Lok Sabha was in seven phases. So, seven to eight (phases) is not such a big deal because we also have to see the movement of forces, we also have to see the current charges and counter-charges (by political parties),” he said.
“We have to kind of find a way out. That is why we are sending two expenditure observers to Tamil Nadu and two police observers to West Bengal,” he explained.
In a unique style of protest against fuel price hike, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday commuted to and from state secretariat Nabanna on an electric scooter. While on way to Nabanna in the morning, Banerjee was seen riding pillion on the battery-powered electric scooter driven by minister Firhad Hakim.
TMC supremo herself took the driver’s seat on way back to her residence in Kalighat area from secretariat in the afternoon. With a placard protesting against the petrol price hike hanging around her neck, helmet-clad Banerjee waved at people on both sides of the road during the seven-km-long journey from Hazra More to the state secretariat in the first half.
#WATCH | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee nearly falls while driving an electric scooter in Howrah, as a mark of protest against fuel price hike. She quickly regained her balance with support and continued to drive. She is travelling to Kalighat from State Secretariat in Nabanna pic.twitter.com/CnAsQYNhTP
On return, the CM, however, decided to drive the vehicle herself at a slow speed with Hakim and some security personnel following her on foot. She drove the e-scooter till Rabindra Sadan-Exide Crossing when Hakim took it from her again. But, as the scooter entered Harish Mukherjee road, Banerjee was once again on the driving seat till reaching home.
During return she took a different route passing through Vidyasagar setu-A J C Bose Road-Harish Mukherjee Road-Hazra to her home. In the morning after reaching Nabanna following a 45- minute ride, Banerjee slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre saying, “We are protesting against the fuel price hike.
The Modi government only makes false promises. They have done nothing to bring down fuel prices. “You can see the difference in petrol prices when the Modi government came to power and now.” She said the TMC will launch a stir against fuel price rise from Friday.
With the state elections not too far, the TMC supremo is not missing any opportunity to score over her main rival BJP. Polls to 294-member West Bengal assembly are due in April-May this year.
“The BJP had promised free LPG connections to the people before coming to power and now they are hiking its price,” Banerjee said. “Modi and Shah are selling the country. They are selling the profit-making PSUs. This is an anti-people, anti-woman, anti-youth, anti-farmer government,” she said.
The feisty TMC chief also criticised the BJP government for renaming the Sardar Patel Stadium, popularly known as the Motera stadium, in Ahmedabad after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The way they are changing the names of stadiums, who knows they might change the name of the country in the coming days,” she quipped.
Speaking on her unique way of protest, Banerjee said, “I rode on an e-scooter to protest the manner in which petrol, diesel and LPG prices are rising. “A middle-class household needs two LPG cylinders a month which they can’t afford now. Over 1 crore people in our state also depend on kerosene which they are not getting now,” she said.
The chief minister was trailed by security personnel on other two-wheelers and two hired yellow taxis as other vehicles followed her a little distance away. There was tight security along the Hazra-Exide-AJC Bose Road-Vidyasagar Setu route.
Curious onlookers stood alongside the route of Vidyasagar Setu, A J C Bose Road and Asutosh Mukherjee Road to have a glimpse of Banerjee driving the scooter. The opposition parties, however, called her protest an “election stunt”.
“The CM is resorting to novel theatrics ahead of the elections but the state government is not doing its bit to reduce fuel prices,” BJP leader Jai Prakash Majumder said. Congress Legislature Party leader Abdul Mannan said, “This is nothing but an election stunt. Why is the state government not substantially withdrawing cess to blunt the effect of the fuel price hike to help the common man?” Left Front leader Sujan Chakraborty compared her fuel hike protest with her earlier riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by former PCAPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato during the Lalgarh agitation.
“Banerjee had ridden pillion on Chhatradhar Mahato’s motorcycle in the Jangalmahal region before coming to power in the state but later people of that region witnessed the TMC’s intimidation and terror,” he said.
