WB Polls: Vote fearlessly, throw TMC into Bay of Bengal, says Shah

Ahead of West Bengal polls, Amit Shah calls on people to vote fearlessly and 'throw TMC into Bay of Bengal.' Mamata Banerjee hits back, accusing the BJP of inciting violence and orchestrating the Malda hostage incident to impose President's rule.

As the West Bengal Assembly polls near, the political temperature in the state has significantly risen, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accuse each other of manipulating the election process.

As Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached West Bengal for election campaigning today, he called on people to vote fearlessly and remove the Trinamool Congress from power and "throw TMC in Bay of Bengal".

Meanwhile, TMC has accused the BJP of trying to incite violence in the state in order to impose President's rule ahead of the polls, with Chief Minister Banerjee claiming that the Malda "hostage" incident was orchestrated by the BJP.

Amit Shah's Campaign Blitz

Speaking at the nomination filing event of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, Shah electrified the crowd with his declaration, "This time no one should fear; no goon can stop the voters of Bengal. Everyone must vote without fear to uproot and throw TMC into the Bay of Bengal."

Shah appealed directly to the people of Bhabanipur, the constituency from where TMC leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting, calling on them to support Adhikari and ensure a change in the state government. "I appeal to the Bengal people to help Suvendu Adhikari win this election. We want to make 'Sonar Bangla', and this is why we need to defeat TMC," he said, asserting that the ruling party had been marred by corruption.

He alleged that the whole state is hearing only one thing echoing from the people. Shah is planning to stay in the state for the next fifteen days, likely till March 17 (Friday), to be engaged in public meetings. "I will stay in Bengal for 15 days for the elections. I will have many opportunities to talk with you all. But today I am here for the nomination filing of our four leaders," Amit Shah said while addressing a rally in Bhabanipur, which is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's constituency.

Apart from Adhikari, BJP's Swapan Das Gupta, Shatrunja Ghosh, and Santosh Pathak also filed their nominations from their respective seats.

"Before the elections themselves, in every corner of Bengal, you will find only one voice echoing, saying bye-bye, tata to Mamata Banerjee, change the government, no matter where you go. The whole population of Bengal is fed up with Trinamool Congress' gundagardi, from the lack of safety of women to the changing demography of Bengal. The youth is troubled with unemployment, and Mamata has even made a record in corruption. The voices are saying that change has to come under the leadership of Narendra Modi", Shah said while addressing a public rally.

BJP candidate from Patashpur Assembly constituency, Tapan Maity, alleged, "There is no governance or administration here. There is no security for women; 'Mother, Land, and People' are in crisis. The people of Bengal want a change in government. Who gives the signal for all these incidents happening in Bengal? All the wrongdoings in Bengal have happened on Mamata Banerjee's signal".

"There is no governance or administration here. There is no security for women; 'Mother, Land, and People' are in crisis. The people of Bengal want a change in government After filing his nomination, BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari said that the incident in Malda proves how "change in Bengal is certain".

Malda 'Hostage' Incident Sparks Blame Game

"After yesterday's incident, an NIA and CBI investigation is going to take place, so the CCTV footage should be reviewed to identify the culprits, and they should be arrested. Once the arrests are made, people won't take the law into their own hands like this. This time, change in Bengal is certain, and Mamata Banerjee's defeat in Bhabanipur is guaranteed," he told reporters.

The remarks came after the seven judicial officers, including three women, were held "hostage" by villagers in Malda district on Wednesday. The standoff was triggered by mass deletions from the electoral rolls under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The incident was part of a broader wave of protests that paralysed Malda throughout the day, as demonstrators staged road blockades across national and state highways and key rural routes in at least five Assembly constituencies.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan termed the Malda incident a "symptom of systemic collapse," alleging a breakdown of law and order in the state. In a post on X, Dharmendra wrote, "Malda is not an aberration--it is a symptom of systemic collapse under @MamataOfficial and AITCOfficial. Seven judicial officers held hostage for over nine hours, denied even food and water this reflects a complete breakdown of state authority. Add to this the violence in Malda-Murshidabad: displacement of Hindu families and the cold-blooded killing of Hargobindo and Chandan Das."

The following day, while taking cognisance of the issue, the Supreme Court today said that the incident is a brazen and deliberate attempt to obstruct the administration of justice.

Mamata Banerjee Blames BJP, ECI

However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Sagardighi, claimed that the BJP was behind the incident in Malda where seven judicial officers were taken hostage by villagers. "Administration is not under my control right now. Law and order (situation) is being controlled by the ECI. They work as per the instructions of Home Minister Amit Shah. The Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DG, SPs, DMs, ADMs, BDOs, ICs and several other state officials have been changed," she said.

"You (BJP) have tried to provoke people in many ways. The plan is to cancel the elections. If that happens, nobody will have the right to vote. They will capture Bengal forcefully. ECI has snatched away my powers and has imposed a 'super President's Rule' with the help of the Home Minister and the Governor," Banerjee said.

The West Bengal CM claimed she had no prior information about the Malda incident and came to know about it from a journalist. She admitted that the current Chief Secretary has not even contacted her once.

The party workers of TMC staged a protest outside the Election Commission's office regarding the submission of Form 6, alleging that voters from outside the state are being included in the voter list.

The Block Development Officer of English Bazar, Ramiz Raja, said that the people are seeking clarification over the deletions which are not being given to them. "People are seeking clarification regarding the names that have been removed. Specifically, they want to know why they were removed... These individuals inquired about what transpired at the minority-dominated booths. They asked which names within the same family were struck off and which were not," he said.

Election Schedule and 2021 Results

The polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

In the last assembly election in the state, held in eight phases in 2021, the Trinamool Congress recorded a landslide victory with 213 seats amid an intense contest with the BJP, which jumped to 77 seats. Congress and Left Front drew a blank in the last state polls. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)