Purba Medinipur (West Bengal) [India], March 23 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress for preventing him from going to an Assembly in Ramgarh, stating that they are stopping BJP campaigners and workers as the polls draw near as they know they will lose.
Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said: “That was a shameful incident. The entire police administration is under the control of the Election Commission of India (ECI). However, when I arrived in Ramgarh, it was heavily barricaded. I even asked the SDPO (sub-divisional police officer) whether Section 144 was in effect.”
“It is my right to meet my party colleagues. The political field of these people (TMC) is shifting. Mamata ‘begum’ is going to lose this time. This is why as the polls are coming near, they are blocking BJP campaigners and workers. Nothing can come of this. The people will give an appropriate reply on the voting machines,” he added.
Adhikari also called for an investigation against the Superintendent of Police (SP) and the District Magistrate (DM) in the matter.
Adhikari, a former TMC Minister, is contesting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the second phase of the elections, which goes to polls on April 1.
Reacting to Mamata Banerjee‘s ‘polarisation’ remark, BJP leader Debasree Chaudhuri said: “Her mind is not well. She knows that she is going to leave. BJP fights in the name of development in the entire country and Prime Minister Modi, the Home Minister, the National President and our ministers are only focusing on making West Bengal into a ‘Sonar Bangla’.”
“This is not about polarisation. Didi’s mindset is that we work on the calculation of percentage, which is not the BJP’s case. BJP has one motto: sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas,” she added.
In the run-up to the Assembly elections, an intense tussle of power has been witnessed between BJP and the ruling TMC, with both sides at loggerheads with each other on various issues. Several members from TMC have also defected to BJP.
Elections to the 294-member state Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)
