West Bengal: Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a high-profile rally in Bhagwanpur, Purba Medinipur.
He framed the election as a battle between “Delhi’s power” and “the people of Bengal”, stating, “On one side, there is the strength of Delhi and its agencies; on the other, a woman in simple slippers and the unwavering faith of the people.”
He also alleged that central agencies such as the ED, CBI, and Income Tax department were being misused to malign the TMC.
Bengal goes to polls in two phases on 23 and 29 April.
During the rally, Abhishek Banerjee issued a direct challenge: “If the BJP has the courage, Amit Shah should be present in Kolkata on 4 May, the day of counting.”
He also expressed confidence that Mamata Banerjee will return to power for a fourth term with a strong mandate.
Responding to alleged threats against TMC workers, he said, “I have prepared a list—block by block and panchayat by panchayat. After the elections, accounts will be settled with interest.”
Banerjee further alleged that the BJP had insulted Bengali identity and culture, saying, “Calling Bengalis ‘Bangladeshi’ and targeting their food habits is an insult to Bengal.” He urged voters to respond strongly through their votes.
TMC is focusing heavily on strengthening its position in the politically sensitive region of Purba Medinipur.
The campaign fever has picked up in West Bengal with both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP carrying out high voltage campaigns across Bengal. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Bengal for 15 days at a stretch, Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee are campaigning relentlessly across the length and breadth of the state.
On Thursday, while Mamata led the North Bengal campaign, Abhishek Banerjee carried out a series of gruelling high voltage public rallies in Jhargram, Kanthi, and Bishnupur.
ThePrint went to Kathi in rural Bengal to cover Banerjee’s public meeting and capture the mood on the ground in the rural Bengal pocket. Here are the glimpses.
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