New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has submitted a written apology for his remarks against Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia besides apologising in the House.

As soon as the House met, some members belonging to the ruling alliance stood up to raise the issue of the remarks made by Banerjee.

However, Birla intervened and said whatever happened on Wednesday was unfortunate and no member should make any personal remark against any fellow member.

Without taking the name of Banerjee, he said any remark against women is in bad taste and it hurts their dignity and honour.

The speaker said agreements and disagreements are part of the democratic process but no member should make any personal remark against anyone.

“The member concerned had apologised (in the House). He has also given me in writing too,” he said and started with the day’s proceedings.

On Wednesday, there were verbal clashes when Banerjee was speaking in the House during a discussion on the amendments to the Disaster Management Act.

The TMC member had alleged non-cooperation by the central government during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai countered it, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped all the states and successfully handled the crisis by taking everyone along.

Rai also alleged that the West Bengal government tried to put hurdles in the transportation of the Covid vaccines through the state.

Scindia stood up to support Rai, saying that India had emerged as a “Vishwa Bandhu” during the pandemic and helped all the needy countries across the world.

Following this, Banerjee attacked Scindia and made certain remarks against the minister which were expunged by the Speaker after an uproar.

The verbal spat between the treasury and opposition benches led to adjournment.

When the House reconvened, Banerjee apologised for his remarks, but Scindia refused to accept it, saying the opposition members should desist from making personal attacks.

“Mr Kalyan Banerjee rose in this House and said sorry. But I will say that we all come to this House with the spirit of contributing to the nation’s development… but we also come with a sense of self-respect.

“Any individual in their lives will not stand compromising with their self-respect. Attack us on our policies, on our views, but if you will get personal, certainly be prepared for the response,” the Union minister said.

“He has apologised… I do not accept his apology for the personal attack that he had made on me and on the women of India,” he said.

Banerjee apologised again but protests from treasury benches continued leading to two more adjournments of the House. 

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

When Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India in 1905, announced the partition of Bengal on religious lines, the decision was met with stiff resistance from a section of people. Bengalis, mainly from the Hindu-dominated western part of the province, alleged that the step was part of the British colonial policy of divide and rule. Among the intellectuals who actively led the protests against the bifurcation was Rabindranath Tagore.

The celebrated bard, in an ode to Mother Bengal, composed a song in support of the resistance against the partition of the state: “Banglar mati, Banglar jol, Banglar baayu, banglar phal, Punyo houk punyo houk, punyo houk hey bhagoban”. Loosely translated, it says this: “The soil of Bengal, the water of Bengal, the air of Bengal, the fruit of Bengal, blessed be them, blessed be them, blessed be them, Oh Lord”. As per historical records, he also initiated a “Raksha Bandhan Utsav” to unite Hindus and Muslims against the division. 

The Raj claimed that the partition was intended to improve administration, with Calcutta being the capital for the western part and Dacca for the east. However, the protesters dubbed it as a ploy to drive a religious wedge among Bengalis. Ultimately, towards the end of 1911, King George V annulled the partition and declared the reunification of the eastern part with the then Bengal Presidency.

Why Few Are Buying The Idea

It’s against this background that the votaries of the “divide Bengal” theory today find themselves facing strong opposition from the people of Bengal, where linguistic and cultural bonds are held above religious beliefs. In fact, the 2024 mandate proved that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has managed to successfully navigate the issue of “outsiders” beyond religious lines. Nonetheless, another division, which led to the formation of East Pakistan amidst widespread bloodshed, went against political prudence. 

The northern parts of Bengal and the western areas lying along the borders of Jharkhand and Odisha have seven Lok Sabha and 49 assembly segments each. Any decision to bifurcate or trifurcate the state may affect the TMC electorally in the remaining 28 Lok Sabha and 196 assembly constituencies spread across the rest of the state.

Sporadic voices for a bifurcation, or trifurcation, have been raised by individuals who find that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has done well with voters in the north and southwestern parts of the state. Around half of the dozen seats the BJP has won in Bengal this year are from the north and four from the southwest.

Incidentally, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) too has been working with tribals and other inhabitants of Jangalmahal (the forested areas in the southwestern region of the state) for over two decades, and their work bore fruit for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. However, subsequent internal events – including infighting among some state leaders and their followers – have stagnated its growth. Yet, the party enjoys the status of being the largest opposition in the state.

Two Movements

In north Bengal, separatist movements like the Gorkhaland agitation in the Darjeeling hills and the Kamatapur movement by Koch Rajbongshis of Cooch Behar, have been going on for decades. The Koch Rajbongshis movement – which has always aimed to pressurise the ruling governments in the state – has found the BJP being sympathetic towards it. The party’s leadership has not officially accepted its demands, though a few MPs from north Bengal have expressed open support. 

Undoubtedly, the BJP has enjoyed support in these areas of the state; the party has been winning Darjeeling since the 2009 national election. It also won the Cooch Behar seat for the first time in 2019, though it lost it later, apparently due to the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) rules ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The Rajbongshis claim that the rules will allow people who migrated from across the border to continue living on their ancestral land.

The disquiet was again evident when Nagendra Ray, a BJP representative in the Rajya Sabha and staunch advocate of a separate state, reiterated on July 25 the demand for a Greater Cooch Behar state. Ray goes by the name of ‘Ananta Maharaj’ and claims that he is a direct descendent of the erstwhile rulers of the earlier Cooch Behar state. In the Rajya Sabha, he claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured him that he would look into the demand for a separate state and that the Prime Minister too had instructed the Home Ministry regarding that.

Not An Easy Route

But as was the case with Gorkhaland, a separate state for the Koch Rajbongshi community would entail carving out portions of not only Bengal but adjoining states as well. Such an attempt may not sit well with the adjoining northeastern neighbours, where the BJP has been doing well with support from its North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) partners.

Considering the history, a further division of Bengal is thus an idea that may never come to fruition even if it continues to loom over the state. In any case, Mamata Banerjee will try to gain as much political mileage out of the issue as she can ahead of the 2026 assembly election. 

(Jayanta Bhattacharya is a senior journalist writing on polls and politics, conflict, farmer and human interest issues)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Trinamool Congress and said that infiltrators are flourishing under the Mamata Banerjee rule and guaranteed to the people of West Bengal that nobody can stop the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state.

Addressing a rally in Barrackpur, PM Modi gave five “guarantees” to the people of West Bengal.

“I want to give five guarantees to the people of Bengal: – Nobody can give reservations based on religion. Reservations for SC, ST, and OBC will not be touched. Nobody can stop you from celebrating Ram Navami. The judgement of the Supreme Court on Ram Mandir will not be quashed. Nobody can stop the implementation of CAA,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks on the Ram Mandir verdict came days after former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had vowed to overturn the Supreme Court’s Ram Mandir verdict if Congress forms the government at the Centre.

PM Modi slammed the Opposition and said that they had made the CAA a “villain” adding that the CAA is to provide citizenship.

“Vote bank politics has presented a law like CAA, which protects humanity, But opposition made it a villain. CAA is a law to give citizenship to the victims, it does not take away anyone’s citizenship. But parties like Congress-TMC painted it with the colour of their lies,” he said.

The Prime Minister alleged that the infiltrators are flourishing under the protection of TMC in the state.

“There was a time when many scientific discoveries were taking place in Bengal, today under the rule of TMC, the home industry of making bombs is running in many places. There was a time when Bengal used to revolt against the infiltrators, but today the infiltrators are flourishing here under the protection of TMC,” he said.

He further hit out at the West Bengal government over the law and order in the state on several religious occasions when violent incidents have been reported, and said that it has become difficult for a common man to follow his faith in Bengal.

PM Modi continued his attack on the state government and highlighted the Sandeshkhali incident saying that goons of TMC are threatening the women of Sandeshkhali.

“Goons of TMC are threatening the women of Sandeshkhali only because the culprit’s name is Shahjahan Sheikh. They are trying their best to save and protect him from legal action. Don’t be afraid of TMC. You must give your full mandate to our candidate; each vote will reach me. Viksit Bengal is crucial for Viksit Bharat,” he said.

Mentioning the West Bengal teacher’s recruitment case, PM Modi said that the money that TMC extorted from the people would be lawfully given back to the people.

“Modi will not let the corrupt leaders sit peacefully. They will be reprimanded! No corrupt leader will be spared. The money that TMC extorted from you will be lawfully given back to you,” he said.

Voting will take place for eight Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal in the fourth phase of voting to be held on May 13. The constituencies are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4.

However, the BJP came up with a much-improved showing in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats against the TMC’s 22. The Congress’s tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank.

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

Kolkata:

Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan, the TMC’s face against Congress heavyweight Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Baharampur, says he is here to stay in politics and remain connected to people of the city, who have already “accepted him as one of their own”.

Yusuf Pathan, who retired from all forms of the sport in February 2021, feels with each passing day in Baharampur, he is gaining strength and confidence.

“I am blessed to have come to a place where people are telling me ‘aap ko hum yahan se jaane nahi denge’ (we won’t let you leave us),” the right-hand batsman, known for his towering sixes, told PTI in an interview.

“People here have already accepted me as their son, brother or friend. I will stick to them no matter what the outcome of the polls is. I will be with them for a better future they deserve. These people are my strength and, ‘inshallah’, I will win. With the kind of positive mindset I am currently in, I am not even thinking of the possibility of a loss,” Pathan said.

He is contesting from the prestigious Baharampur Lok Sabha seat in Murshidabad district of West Bengal on a Trinamool Congress ticket, and has emerged as the prime challenger to Congress veteran and incumbent Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on his home turf.

“I have the utmost respect for Adhir Chowdhury, who is a senior leader,” he said.

“But when I listen to people, I hear discontentment over his absence from grassroots during the Covid years. People here allege that Chowdhury failed to bring in the required central grants to create infrastructure and employment opportunities. There’s not enough work for people and the MP of 25 years should answer people why he failed,” said the hard-hitting former cricketer, who moved from Gujarat to fight for a seat on the Lok Sabha floor from Bengal.

Pathan listed creating job opportunities to hold migrant workers back, building a world-class sports complex, infrastructure for local silk, thermocol and jute industry workers, and creating a support system for farmers as priority areas of work, should Baharampur voters choose him as their representative in Parliament.

“I have a lot of work to do here. I have figured that out in my short presence in the region, during my poll campaigns and interactions with people,” he said.

Joining the Lok Sabha poll fray, however, was possibly the last thing on Pathan’s mind barely a month and a half ago till Mamata Banerjee (CM and TMC supremo) and her nephew Abhishek approached him.

“It happened less than a week ahead of the day the party declared its candidate list on March 10,” Pathan said. “My first response was negative. I was swinging on the horns of a dilemma on whether or not to accept the offer. After all, I had never given a serious thought to politics before, nor was I a particular fan of the craft,” he stated.

Asked what eventually made him choose politics and the TMC, Pathan said with a hearty laugh: “Cricket toh khatam ho gaya, kuch toh karna tha (my cricketing days were over and I had to do something).” “On a serious note, I consulted my family, including my brother Irfan and wife Afreen. I also spoke to my seniors and friends. I soon realised that this could actually be a gift, an opportunity from the Almighty to serve the people and give back to society what I earned all these years in terms of love and respect,” he said.

Pathan, though, maintained he was familiar with Mamata Banerjee’s politics for over a decade, particularly since 2011 when he began playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

“I used to come and stay in Bengal for months and could see the civic infrastructure developments she brought to Kolkata. People kept telling me about her work in areas of women’s education and for the poor. I even met her in 2014 after KKR won the IPL that season,” he recounted.

“Hence, saying yes to her offer wasn’t much of an issue,” said Pathan.

Asked if his religious identity, that of a devout Muslim, gave him an edge over opponents in a Muslim-majority seat like Baharampur, Pathan firmly dissociated religion from politics.

“I have respect for every religion in this county, but people should not be treated as vote banks based on their religious identities.

“Elections should be fought for both majority and minority communities, not for one or the other. The priority should be the growth of economy and development of people so that we can build a future for our next generation,” he asserted.

Pathan, who was also an effective off spinner, continues to maintain a deep attachment to cricket despite bidding adieu to the game’s professional formats.

Pathan said his identity as a cricketer would continue to dominate his newfound love for politics.

“Both my identities are important, none of which I can hide. But, people will always consider me a cricketer first. They have seen me play and loved me for my performances in the middle. Now, they can expect me to serve them as one of their own,” he said.

As someone who sweated it out on the field under rigorous training schedules, Pathan feels the heat and dust of Baharampur have only added a leaf to his experience in life.

“To the dust, we shall all return. ‘Dhool se kya darna’ (why fear it),” he added.

Kolkata:

BJP’s Hooghly Lok Sabha seat candidate Locket Chatterjee on Saturday accused Trinamool Congress supporters of accosting her vehicle.

The TMC denied having any role in the incident, claiming that common people were protesting her alleged absence from the constituency, from where she is contesting to win for the second consecutive term.

The incident took place at Bansberia in Hooghly district, where she went to attend a religious ceremony.

“Suddenly, some outsiders attacked the vehicle, common people were not there. I could come out of there with the help of my security personnel,” she said.

Dismissing her allegations, a local TMC leader said, “Common people were protesting her absence from the constituency. The TMC does not have anything to do with the incident.”

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

Kolkata:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dilip Ghosh attacked the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party in the state and said that the TMC government in West Bengal has repeatedly lied and given false figures regarding the funds provided by the centre to mislead the people.

Speaking to ANI, Dilip Ghosh said, “The WB government has repeatedly lied and given false figures (regarding funding given by the Centre to the state government) to mislead the people. I am saying that today everything is in the public domain, including what the central government is doing, what it is it giving and how much the state government gets.”

“The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has exposed a scam of Rs 229 crore, which the state government is yet to answer. That is the money of the poor people. The WB government should answer this first,” the BJP leader said.

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and said that many projects have not been completed on time despite the Centre giving record amounts of money.

“The TMC government here doesn’t allow the implementation of central schemes in West Bengal. To establish medical colleges is the identity of the BJP. We want to establish a medical college in every district of the country. But the TMC government doesn’t allow us to do this in West Bengal. Despite giving record amounts of money to West Bengal, many projects are not completed on time due to TMC,” PM Modi said while addressing a public rally in Cooch Behar on Thursday.

The BJP candidate from Bardhaman Durgapur constituency also spoke on the Sandeshkhali incident earlier and said, “It is a matter of grave concern. The way women in Sandeshkhali have given their statements. All that cannot be imagined in any civilised society.”

“The atrocities towards the people in Sandeshkhali have been going on for years. The solution for that will be brought out. The truth will prevail and come to the fore,” he said.

Dilip Ghosh also hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her indecent use of words towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a public meeting on Thursday and said, “Mamata Banerjee speaks in this manner all the time. It has become a habit for her. It will not improve. This is being discussed now after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force.”

“This use of indecent language in the atmosphere of West Bengal is because of Mamata Banerjee. Under her influence, all the big and small MPs and MLAs in the state speak in this manner. This goes on throughout the year. No one has given Mamata Banerjee the right to pollute the culture of West Bengal,” said Ghosh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, saying that while he calls for the removal of corruption, opposition parties such as the Congress and the Trinamool Congress call for saving “corrupt leaders.”

Prime Minister Modi also attacked the TMC government in West Bengal, saying it tried its best to protect the accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents that rocked the state and said that only the Bharatiya Janata Party can stop atrocities against women.

PM Modi said the BJP has resolved to ensure punishment for the accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress government of not allowing the implementation of central schemes in West Bengal, adding that many projects have not been completed on time despite the Centre giving record amounts of money to the WB government.

This was the first rally of PM Modi in West Bengal after the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule of the general elections on March 16.

The BJP has been attacking the Trinamool Congress over incidents in Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Local women accused the suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides of excesses, landgrabs, and sexual assault.

Shahjahan Sheikh has been remanded to Enforcement Directorate custody until April 13 in the case in which officials of the agency were attacked while they had gone to search his residence in the probe into the money trail in an alleged ration distribution scam.

There are 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 22 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 18 and the Congress won two seats.

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

Kolkata:

Exuding confidence in securing her Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat with a bigger margin, senior TMC leader Mahua Moitra feels that her victory would be a fitting response to the “conspiracy” to expel her from Lok Sabha last year and tarnish her reputation through raids and summons by central agencies in a cash-for-query case.

She asserted that despite all efforts by the BJP to “sound the death knell” for constitutional democracy, India is too great a country to be destroyed by the fascists.

Ms Moitra, who was re-nominated by the TMC from the same Krishnanagar seat after being expelled last year, accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of acting as “political agents of the saffron camp”.

In an interview with PTI, Ms Moitra said the Election Commission has “lost its independence” since commissioners are handpicked by a selection committee where the Centre has two-thirds majority.

“There is no doubt about my victory. It is about how big the margin will be, which will be decided on June 4. I live here and have been among my people for the past five years and even before that as an MLA. So there is a very strong connection, and frankly, there is no election mode as such here,” she said.

She won by a margin of over 60,000 votes in the 2019 elections, bagging 45 per cent of the total votes polled.

“My victory would be a fitting response to the conspiracy to expel me and tarnish my reputation,” the 49-year-old politician said.

Ms Moitra, known for her outspokenness and fiery debates in the Lok Sabha, was expelled from the Lower House in December last year after a parliamentary Ethics Committee’s report held her accountable for accepting gifts and illegal gratification.

The former investment banker with JP Morgan Chase, who had dubbed the expulsion recommendation by the Ethics committee as a “prefixed match by a kangaroo court”, claimed the BJP has been trying to destroy democracy in the country.

“I have been saying this since my first speech in Parliament. The BJP is sounding the death knell for India as a constitutional democracy… But India is too great a nation to be destroyed by these fascist thugs,” she said.

Asked why the people of her constituency would believe her side of the story instead of the version propagated by the BJP, Ms Moitra said she is the daughter of the soil.

“This is my Karmabhoomi and my Dharmabhoomi. My people will back me 100 per cent,” she said.

While the cash-for-query controversy brought an abrupt end to her first term as a parliamentarian, it undeniably enhanced her stature within the party, with unwavering support from the TMC top leadership and the entire opposition.

Speaking about the CBI raids at her premises and summons by the Enforcement Directorate, which she has skipped, Ms Moitra alleged those agencies are an integral part of the BJP.

The CBI conducted a raid on her property regarding the cash-for-query case, prompted by the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal’s directive following allegations from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, which she rejected.

Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a case involving contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Ms Moitra recently complained to the EC, alleging that the BJP was employing the CBI and the ED to disrupt her campaign and tarnish her image before the elections, although she expressed scepticism about the poll panel taking any action on the matter.

“The EC itself now has lost its independence. The commissioners are handpicked by the two-thirds majority of the prime minister and the home minister. Within 30 minutes, 200 names were given to choose (two Election Commissioners after the resignation of Arun Goel last month). The entire exercise is a farce,” she said.

The former MLA from Karimpur seat in the West Bengal Assembly said opposition leaders and political parties still write to the EC, as “we need to write and record it for history, and that is also important”.

Asked if re-elected, whether she would continue with the same zeal in attacking the saffron party on policy issues, Ms Moitra shot back, “What do you think… I will get back to my seat and sing paeans to the BJP?” Ms Moitra had repeatedly questioned the Centre’s involvement in the expansion of assets of a private conglomerate and had moved multiple lawsuits in the Supreme Court challenging various policies made by the Narendra Modi government.

On whether it is possible to defeat the BJP-led NDA, as the opposition bloc INDIA is not finding enough traction in most of the states, Ms Moitra said, “The people are the ultimate decision-makers. I have faith in the people. It may be delayed but it will happen.” The TMC leader said implementation of CAA rules will not have much impact in her constituency, which has a considerable Matua population.

“The Matua population is in higher numbers in the neighbouring seat of Ranaghat. Here we have a small percentage. But yes, Matua organisations themselves are telling their members not to apply for CAA and mark themselves as illegal foreigners, given they have enjoyed all state benefits for the past years,” she said.

Ms Moitra was referring to All India Matua Mahasangha’s directive that has advised its members to abstain from submitting citizenship applications due to a lack of necessary documents proving their previous residential address in Bangladesh.

When asked about her opinion on her opponent from the saffron camp, ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy of the Krishnanagar Royal family, she said the candidate is of no consequence to her.

“My fight is against the BJP symbol. I am least bothered about who they have put up. June 4 will show the results,” she said. 

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

Krishananagar:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday mocked the BJP’s target of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls and challenged the saffron camp to win at least 200 constituencies.

Ms Banerjee also asserted that she won’t allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state.

She cautioned people that applying for CAA would turn an applicant into a foreigner and urged them not to apply for it.

“The BJP is saying “400 paar”, I challenge them to cross the 200 seats benchmark first. In 2021 assembly polls, they gave a call of 200 plus seats but had to stop at 77,” she said.

“The CAA is a trap to turn legal citizens into foreigners. We would allow neither CAA nor NRC in West Bengal,” she said while addressing her first rally in the election season after her injury earlier this month.

Ms Banerjee, the TMC supremo, slammed the opposition bloc INDIA partners — CPI(M) and Congress — for “joining hands with the BJP” in West Bengal.

“There is no INDIA alliance in West Bengal. The CPI(M) and Congress are working for the BJP in Bengal,” she said while addressing an election rally at Krishnanagar in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra.

“Our MP Mahua Moitra was maligned and expelled from the Lok Sabha as she was vocal against the BJP,” she added. 

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

Kolkata:

Claiming that “Modi ki guarantee” has “zero warranty”, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday labelled BJP leaders as “outsiders and anti-Bengal”, who only visit the state during elections.

Mr Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, asserted that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to the saffron camp during the Lok Sabha elections for withholding the state’s funds.

Addressing ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’ rally at Brigade Parade grounds, he said, “The ‘Modi ki guarantee’ has zero warranty. Only Mamata Banerjee and the TMC keep the promises. The BJP and its leaders are outsiders and anti-Bengal and that is why they have withheld the funds due to the state.”

The TMC MP also claimed that the ED and CBI raids “won’t yield any result as they won’t be participating in the elections”.

The Trinamool Congress launched its Lok Sabha poll campaign from the grand rally on Sunday, where party supremo Mamata Banerjee is expected to set the tone for the upcoming elections. 

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

Kolkata:

The Trinamool Congress will launch its Lok Sabha poll campaign with a grand rally on Sunday at Kolkata’s famed Brigade Parade Grounds, where party supremo Mamata Banerjee is expected to set the tone for the upcoming elections.

Christened ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’, the mega event will feature three platforms, including a cross ramp, with Mamata Banerjee and TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee taking centre-stage as the main speakers.

The rally’s overarching theme revolves around the alleged withholding of the state’s financial dues by the central government, a contentious issue that has dominated state politics for the past two years.

Lakhs of supporters and numerous block-level leaders were seen in the morning flocking from different districts to hear their leader, affectionately called ‘Didi’.

“We are organising a rally at Brigade Parade Grounds after a long time. It is going to be a historic event. Our party supremo Mamata Banerjee will give a message which we will take to every nook and corner of West Bengal and ensure the defeat of the BJP in all the 42 Lok Sabha seats of the state,” TMC leader Firhad Hakim said.

The TMC’s mega rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds, a historic site initially established as a parade ground during the British colonial era, holds significance as this is the party’s first large-scale gathering at Maidan since the January 2019 opposition meeting, where leaders from 19 opposition parties joined forces in a display of solidarity.

Despite its well-entrenched grassroots organisation, the TMC’s tally dropped to 22 seats from 34 in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, whereas BJP clocked an impressive performance by clinching 18 seats in the state.

Sources within the TMC suggested the possibility of significant defections from other political parties, particularly the BJP, which has seen eight MLAs and two MPs crossing over to the ruling party in the state since the 2021 assembly polls.

In a departure from conventional rally setups, the Trinamool Congress has opted for ramps to facilitate closer interaction between leaders and supporters during speeches. The three main stages interconnected by ramps aim to enhance engagement and connect with the grassroots.

Meanwhile, the BJP has derided the TMC’s programme, branding it as the party’s “farewell rally”.

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari disparaged TMC’s leaders as “goons and corrupt,” predicting their “impending downfall”.

In a countermove, the BJP plans to hold a rally in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have surfaced. 

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