A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), she responded saying there was no point in issuing notices against her as her reply would remain the same. She also wondered how many notices the EC had issued against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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“There is no point even if you lodge 10 show cause notices against me; my reply will be the same. I am telling everyone to vote without any division of votes,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a public meeting at Domjur in Howrah.
Ms. Banerjee also accused the Prime Minister of dividing the electorate on communal lines.
Violation of Model Code
“How many notices have you issued against Narendra Modi; every day he is engaged in a Hindu-Muslim debate,” she said.
In the notice issued to her, the EC pointed out that her appeal to minority voters not to divide their votes was a violation of the MCC.
Addressing another public meeting at Behala, the Trinamool Congress chief accused Mr. Modi of mocking her at public meetings. “The Prime Minister is mocking me regularly, almost on a daily basis. Do you like it,” Ms. Banerjee asked the crowd. The Chief Minister added that she spoke the way she could and asked why that should result in mockery. Earlier the Trinamool Congress leadership had raised objections to the Prime Minister’s taunt, addressing the Chief Minister as “Didi, O Didi”.
The Chief Minister said that in politics everyone should maintain “lakshman rekha (no-go areas)”.
Mr. Banerjee also accused the BJP of trying to forcibly occupy the State with the help of central agencies. She urged the people to file police complaints against central forces if they indulge in excesses during elections.
Also read:West Bengal Assembly polls | Muslim vote bank is slipping out of Mamata’s hands, says Modi
‘Change in destiny’
In his campaign speech, BJP president J.P. Nadda said the elections would change the destiny of West Bengal. Criticising Ms. Banerjee for raking up the “insider-outsider” debate every now and then, he said it reflected her “frustration”, having sensed defeat in the Assembly polls.
The BJP president, who held a road show at Dinhata in north Bengal's Cooch Behar district, said the BJP is confident of bagging more than 200 seats. “A wave is blowing in favour of the BJP, and it is so strong that the TMC will get washed away,”Mr Nadda claimed.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also campaigning in the State, said anti-Romeo squads will be formed in Bengal if the party is voted to power.
Alleging that West Bengal is not safe for women, Mr. Adityanath said, “Education and transport will be made free for girls in Bengal. Anti-Romeo squads will be formed in Bengal to deal with those who loiter around girls schools.” The remarks drew strong condemnation from the Trinamool Congress leadership.
