Kolkata, Apr 27 (PTI) The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Voting across 142 constituencies in the second and final phase in the state will take place on April 29 after the first leg registered a record turnout of 93.19 per cent.
During the high-voltage campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of turning the state into a haven for infiltrators, while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the saffron party was engaged in divisive politics, attempting to bifurcate Bengal and interfering with local food habits.
Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and a host of leaders from other states campaigned extensively, attacking the TMC over law and order, crimes against women, political violence, infiltration and corruption.
Modi wrapped up his campaign with a mix of religious outreach and sharp attacks on the TMC, accusing it of fostering “jungle raj” and failing to ensure women’s safety and industrial growth. He offered prayers at the Matua Thakurbari in Bongaon and the Thanthania Kalibari temple in Kolkata, and assured Hindu refugees of a “permanent address” in the country.
Addressing rallies, he said Bengal needed to be freed from fear and violence and promised a “Viksito Bangla” with jobs and industrial revival, insisting that the state is ready to make its move from the reign of the TMC-induced ‘bhoy’ (fear) to the BJP’s ‘bharosa’ (trust).
“I pledge that the brothers and sisters of the Matua Namasudra community will receive citizenship through the CAA. They will be provided the same documents which other citizens of this country have,” Modi said.
“The TMC has stopped talking about ‘Ma Mati Manush’ because doing so will expose the sins they committed in Bengal,” the PM alleged.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed that her party had crossed the 100-seat mark in the first phase itself and expressed confidence of retaining power.
“Elections were held in 152 seats in the first phase. We have already crossed 100 seats in the first phase. Elections in the remaining 142 seats will be held on April 29. If you all vote for us, we will get a two-thirds majority,” Banerjee said at a poll rally in Bhabanipur.
Banerjee has also hit out at Shah over his “hang upside down” remark against Trinamool workers after the polls, questioning the language used by a constitutional authority and saying her party would initiate legal action against him.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and RJD chief Tejaswi Yadav joined the campaign bandwagon in the final few days in support of the TMC, vouching for its “imminent victory” in the polls by defeating the saffron juggernaut.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who campaigned for party candidates in the first phase of polls on April 23, revisited the state for the upcoming second phase, holding rallies in the heart of Kolkata where he took on the BJP and TMC alike.
Modi alluded to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s iconic pre-Independence slogan of ‘Give me blood and I will give you freedom’, to urge the people to vote for the BJP, “…and I will grant you freedom from TMC’s ‘maha jungle raj”.
“That freedom would include liberty from the TMC’s fear psychosis, corruption, crimes against women, unemployment, infiltrators, rioters and criminals,” Modi said The Prime Minister’s unscheduled stop at a roadside stall in Jhargram for a ‘jhalmuri’ snack drew a sharp response from Banerjee, who dismissed the episode as “drama” and sought to counter it with her own outreach.
In an audio message on the final day of campaigning, Modi thanked the people of Bengal, expressing confidence of the BJP forming the next government, and likened his experience in the state to a “pilgrimage”.
Echoing the theme of the TMC’s alleged failure at governance, Shah said a BJP government would end “goonda raj” and “syndicate raj” and set up a special squad to curb cattle smuggling.
Coming down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee administration for “sheltering infiltrators” and not providing land to seal borders, Shah promised allotment of land within 45 days of assuming power in the state.
“Do not be afraid to come out and vote. The Election Commission has made adequate security arrangements, and nobody will be able to prevent you from casting your vote. Each booth has got CAPF, and in the first phase, not a single goonda of Mamata Banerjee could come out from their hiding,” he said in one of the rallies.
Hitting back, TMC leader and party MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the BJP had failed to fulfil its promises, including “Rs 15 lakh in every bank account and two crore jobs annually”.
Mamata Banerjee raised concern over voter list deletions and accused the Election Commission-appointed administration of bias, warning officials against alleged excesses.
A total of 3,21,73,837 electors, including 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women and 792 third-gender voters, are eligible to cast their votes in this phase on April 29. Polling will be held at 41,001 stations, all of which will be covered by webcasting.
The Election Commission of India has put in place extensive security arrangements, deploying 2,321 companies of central forces across seven districts. As many as 142 general observers, 95 police observers and 100 expenditure observers have been deployed, while drones fitted with cameras are being used to monitor the polling process. Kolkata has the highest deployment with 273 companies of central forces.
Among the constituencies going to the polls, Bhangar has the highest number of candidates at 19, while Goghat has the lowest at five. Key seats include Bhabanipur, where Banerjee is seeking re-election against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, Kolkata Port, where Firhad Hakim is in the fray, and the industrial belt constituencies of Bhatpara, Jagatdal and Barrackpur.
Other important seats include Bangaon, Dum Dum, Sandeshkhali, Hingalganj, Ranaghat Uttar and Dakshin, Rashbehari, Jadavpur and Ballygunge. PTI SCH MNB SMY SAP SAP
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