Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates: Taking a dig at Narendra Modi, the TMC chief Saturday said that the BJP ruined the country’s economy by implementing ‘note bandi’ (demonetization) to ‘bank bandi’ (bank closures). She also alleged that the saffron party will soon sell Haldia port.

The prime minister alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government has created roadblocks in the process of development in West Bengal.

“Mamata Didi runs school of brutality where ‘tolabaji’ (extortion), cut money, syndicate and anarchy form syllabus,” he said in Kharagpur rally.

Accusing the West Bengal chief minister of ‘betraying’ the people of the state, Narendra Modi Saturday said the TMC supremo hampered development in Bengal.

Give us one chance in Bengal and you will see how BJP brings in ‘asol paribartan’ in the state, said Narendra Modi in Kharagpur rally.

This will be the prime minister’s second visit to the poll-bound state in a week and fifth since January. Earlier on Thursday, he addressed a rally Purulia.

The Congress leader will interact with employees at the IOC Refinery in Assam’s Tinsukia and hold two public meetings in Jorhat and Biswanath on Saturday.

In a tweet, the prime minister Friday said that he will elaborate on BJP’s development agenda in his speeches.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election rallies in Kharagpur in West Bengal and Chabua in Assam on Saturday.

“Will be in Assam and West Bengal tomorrow and the day after. Tomorrow, 20 March, I would be speaking at rallies in Kharagpur (WB) and Chabua (Assam). Will elaborate on BJP’s development agenda during my speeches. It is clear both states want to elect NDA in the upcoming polls,” he tweeted.

Branding TMC rebels as “traitors” like Mir Jafar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took a swipe at the BJP for fielding the turncoats in the polls leaving saffron party old-timers shed tears.

On her decision to contest from Nandigram in place of her traditional Bhowanipore seat, the TMC supremo said it was
because of the fact that Nandigram and Singur movement was the trendsetter in the field of land reforms in the state.

Addressing a poll rally at Egra in Purba Medinipur district, she accused the BJP of practising “politics of riot, loot and
murder”, and urged everyone “to be on guard against outsiders appearing in their localities”.

“Gaddars (traitors), Mir Jafars have now become BJP candidates to the dismay of old-timers of the saffron party,” she said in an obvious reference to Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee who had shifted allegiance to the BJP along with other leaders like Mukul Roy.

Mir Jafar, military general of Bengal’s last indepedent nawab Siraj-ud-daulah, is considered a hate figure for deceiving the besieged nawab during the Battle of Plassey in 1757, paving the way for British rule in India.

BJP is witnessing protests from its cadres at several places for giving ticket to TMC turncoats ignoring them.

The TMC, which has made ‘Bengali pride’ its core poll plank, has called the BJP a “party of outsiders” as its top leaders hail from outside the state.

Venting her anger against the TMC leaders for crossing over to the BJP, she said “these turncoats” were given many responsibilities in the past but they did not do justice with the job.

“I will be monitoring every project so that its benefit reaches everyone,” she said.

About her decision to contest from Nandigram, she said, “Many people have asked me why I decided to contest from
faraway Nandigram rather than a constituency in Kolkata. I replied, I chose it since the movement against land acquisition in Nandigram (in 2007-2008) and Singur had played a significant role in the field of land reforms in the state. Also I consider every corner of Bengal as my own place.”

Mamata is pitted against her protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram seat where voting will take place on 1 April.

The anti-land acquisition movement at Nandigram had catapulted Mamata to power in 2011, ending 34-year rule of the Left Front in Bengal.

Slamming the saffron party for chanting “Hari Hari in front and stabbing from behind”, the TMC chief claimed, “Chewing pan parag and putting tilak on forehead, the BJP carries on attack on people.”

Coining the slogan “No vote to BJP”, the TMC supremo also asked the crowd not to vote for the CPM and the Congress
either “as they are friends of the BJP.”

The CPM, Congress and the fledgling ISF have formed an alliance in West Bengal against the TMC and the BJP in the
election of 294-member state Assembly.

She asked the people to maintain vigil outside the counting centres where the EVMs will be kept after polling, saying “Do not leave the place even if central security and state police ask you to do so.

“Also if an EVM malfunctions, ensure that the machine replacing it is tested properly.”

Alleging that women are not safe in the BJP-ruled states, she said, “In Uttar Pradesh, women are raped and murdered. The father of a rape victim was killed recently. If a poor man steals Rs 500 we pounce on him. What about the BJP stealing lakhs of rupees in jumla, what about lakhs of cash being plundered in the name of selling of PSUs? These thefts by BJP leaders are never known publicly?”

The chief minister said, ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at the doorstep) camps will be set up again in August-September and will be held twice a year from now on.

Asserting that the victory of the TMC in the Assembly polls “will be the precursor to dislodging the BJP in Delhi”, she said “If you want me to be at the helm again, make every TMC candidate a winner.”

The TMC leader recited ‘chandi path’ before wrapping up her speech and also wished Muslims, Christians and members of different tribes and castes.

“We are all united and together. None can rupture our unity. This is Bengal”, she said.

At the second meeting in Patashpur in the same district, she took a dig at the family of Suvendu Adhikari, “Purba Medinipur was controlled by a particular set of people. I had blindly trusted them but in return I got treachery and betrayal. I could never imagine that from 2014 he was in touch with BJP. I couldn’t realise, so I apologise before you,” she said without naming Suvendu Adhikari.

At Tamluk, the last stop of her public meetings, the TMC supremo claimed that due to Keleghai Kapaleswari irrigation
project the regular flooding of the area has stopped.

She said if BJP is not defeated, the saffron party, which is “anti-farmers,anti-labourers, anti-women and anti-people”, will ultimately “sell” the country.

The chief minister said the state government has provided 900 acres of land to ISKCON for a grand temple complex in Nadia, to highlight her government’s favourable approach towards religious organisations.

Before ending her speech, she chanted Durga mantra “…narayani namostute” and wished all religions.