Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a polls rally in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas in West Bengal on Saturday. (Source: Twitter/@BJP4India)Addressing a rally in South 24 Parganas in poll-bound West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has conceded defeat as she is already planning to contest from Varanasi in next Lok Sabha polls in 2024. He also addressed a rally in Assam earlier in the day where he expressed his confidence over NDA’s victory in the upcoming elections.
The Election Commission Saturday relaxed its 48-hour campaigning ban on BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma to 24 hours. Sarma can start campaigning for the Assam elections this evening.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday accused the BJP of engineering communal strife in the state to win the assembly elections and urged the minority community to not “fall in the trap of a BJP-aided party from Hyderabad and its Bengal ally that are out to polarise votes”. Her jibe was apparently aimed at Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and Abbas Siddiqui’s ISF.
In another development, DMK leader and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi said on Saturday she had tested Covid-19 positive, and canceled all her scheduled events ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Kanimozi has isolated herself at home, and is likely to undergo treatment at a private hospital in Chennai.
Earlier today, launching an attack on the Congress party for its stance on not implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act in Assam, BJP chief JP Nadda on Saturday said that they cannot overrule a law passed by Parliament and were misleading the people. Speaking to ANI, Nadda said, “I can’t understand who are the people who make these guarantees and how limited is their knowledge. Can a state law overrule a law passed by Parliament? They’re misleading people. It’s a display of mental bankruptcy.”
BJP chief J P Nadda on Saturday targeted DMK leaders for allegedly using what he called 'foul language' against Dalits and dubbed the DMK and Congress as being 'synonymous' with corruption.
Accusing DMK leaders of using 'foul' language recently against Dalits, late AIADMK matriarch 'Amma' and women, he said it was very unfortunate.
One could understand what respect they have for Dalits and women, he said here, addressing a poll rally canvassing support for BJP's H Raja, who is contesting the April 6 Assembly polls from Karaikudi Assembly segment.
Such foul language was used while they were out of power and the way they would treat Dalits and women in the event of winning the polls is a 'million dollar question,' he said. (PTI)
Following a controversy over a polling team in Assam carrying an EVM in the vehicle belonging to the wife of a BJP candidate, the Congress on Saturday held a protest against the incident and alleged that the ruling party in the state is indulging in electoral manipulation.
Amid slogan-shouting by the party workers, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora urged the Election Commission to take strict action against the BJP leaders who carry out illegal activities that hamper the polling process.
The protest rally was not allowed to move forward on the busy arterial G S Road and stopped at the gate of the state Congress headquarters 'Rajiv Bhawan'.
Bora submitted a memorandum to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime and Law and Order) Debaraj Upadhaya to send it to the Office of Chief Electoral Officer of the state. (PTI)
Calling upon people to oust the Mamata Banerjee government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Saturday that the BJP, if voted to power in Bengal, will ensure security for all women and create job opportunities for the youth.
Adityanath, who addressed two rallies during the day, also said that those who had tried to stop Durga puja and Saraswati puja will be put behind bars, if the saffron party forms government in Bengal.
"You had given 50 years to the Congress, 30 years to the communists and 10 years to the Trinamool Congress, I urge you to give five years to the BJP... We will change the face of West Bengal.
"The BJP will stop all tortures perpetrated on the women of West Bengal. It will ensure that youths get employment opportunities," the Uttar Pradesh CM said at a public meeting in Falta area of South-24 Parganas district. (PTI)
People of Tamil Nadu do not accept the AIADMK-BJP alliance, and the DMK-led front would emerged victorious in April 6 Assembly elections, said Dinesh Gundu Rao, AICC in-charge of the state, on Saturday.
Seeking votes for Thirumagan Evera, the Congress candidate for Erode east constituency, he said Thirumagan is the great grandson of radical EVR Periyar and son of former TNCC president E V K S Elangovan, both noted for honesty and self-respect.
The Congress leader criticised the income-tax raid on the house of DMK president M K Stalin's daughter and said the BJP has destroyed democracy by using the government agency to arrange the raid just to defame the Secular Progressive Front consisting of the DMK-Congress and other parties. (PTI)
PM Modi: TMC's "Bohirgato" (outsider) theory insult to Netaji's ideology, Indian Constitution.
A total of 14 workers of two political parties were arrested for allegedly distributing cash to voters in two areas here on Saturday, police said.
Based on information, the police went to an area in Coimbatore south constituency where they caught 12 BJP workers distributing the money to residents.
A sum of Rs 46,000 was seized from them and six two-wheelers were impounded, the police said.
In another incident, two AIADMK workers were held for distributing money in an area coming under Coimbatore north constituency, they said. (PTI)
PM Narendra Modi in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas: "Didi's party says that she will contest from Varanasi, which makes two things clear -- that she has accepted her defeat in Bengal and that Didi has started a search for her space outside Bengal."
"People of Varanasi are as kind-hearted as people of Bengal. But you (Mamata Banerjee) will meet so many people with vermillion and 'choti'. 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan irritates you, but you will have to hear 'Har Har Mahadev' every 2 minutes. What will you do then."
Spearheading his party's campaign in the ongoing polls to elect five assemblies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed 23 rallies so far, 10 of them across four states over the last three days, including Saturday.
With the BJP pulling out all the stops to oust Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from government in West Bengal and to retain power in Assam, these two states have been the focus of Modi's campaign.
He has addressed rallies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry too.
The prime minister also travelled to Bangladesh recently for two days and attended a number of programmes, an exercise that was criticised by Banerjee alleging they were held with an eye on the polls in West Bengal, a charge rejected by the BJP. (PTI)
The Election Commission Saturday relaxed its 48-hour campaigning ban on BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma to 24 hours. Sarma can start campaigning for Assam elections from this evening.
Addressing a public meeting at Tarakeshwar in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "TMC's syndicate has ruined Hooghly river as well. They have no effective policies against illegal construction and industrial waste. This is because they run the syndicate themselves and several treatment plants don't function."
Addressing a public meeting at Tarakeshwar in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Didi (Mamata Banerje) has said that the crowd that attends the BJP rally, they gather for money. Can a citizen of Bengal ever be sold? These are self-respecting people, even the entire British regime could not do anything for the people of Bengal. Don't insult the people of Bengal."
"If a player raises a question on the umpire time and again, we know there's some problem in his/her game. In politics, if someone questions the EVM or the EC time and again, we must understand the game's over."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the BJP of engineering communal strife in the state to win the assembly elections.
The TMC chief, while addressing an election rally in Raidighi in South 24 Parganas district, also called upon Muslims not to "fall in the trap of a BJP-aided party from Hyderabad and its Bengal ally that are out to polarise votes." Her jibe was apparently aimed at Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and Abbas Siddiqui's ISF. Both Owaisi and Siddiqui had earlier denied the TMC's insinuations. The ISF is fighting the elections in alliance with the CPI(M) and the Congress.
The TMC supremo also urged Hindus to be on the guard against the BJP's attempts to "instigate communal clashes" and called upon them to chase away outsiders sent to foment trouble in their respective localities.
Affirming her Hindu identity, in an apparent attempt to counter the minority appeasement charge against her, Banerjee said, "I am a devout Hindu who recites Chandi mantra every day before leaving home. But I believe in our tradition of giving respect to every religion." (PTI)
After he was debarred from campaigning by the Election Commission, BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma Saturday clarified that he has not challenged this order before any Court of Law. His comments come after Anurag Thakur said that BJP will take the issue to the court on legal and factual grounds. Sarma was banned from campaigning for 48 hours on Friday for his remark against Hagrama Mohilary.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Friday said that tBJP will approach the court against Election Commission's 48-hour ban of Himanta Biswa Sarma on legal and factual grounds. The EC on Friday debarred Assam Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning for ongoing Assam elections for 48 hours with immediate effect for his remark against Hagrama Mohilary, Bodoland People’s Front Chairperson.
Alleging that the TMC and the BJP are on a "joint mission to ruin" West Bengal, senior Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill on Friday accused the two parties of using religion and indulging in violence to win the state elections and divert people's attention from the real issues that are impacting their daily lives.
The political battle between the state's ruling party and the saffron outfit has derailed the development of 'sonar Bangla' (golden Bengal), he said.
Congress leaders and workers on Saturday held protests in Guwahati after an EVM machine was found in the car of a BJP leader Krishnendu Pal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a fervent appeal to militants in Assam who have not surrendered yet to return to the mainstream as they are needed to create an 'Atmanirbhar Assam'.
Addressing an election rally here in Baksa district, the prime minister said people of the state have rejected violence for development, peace, unity and stability. The NDA government, he asserted, formulated policies that are non-discriminatory and for all sections of society. (PTI)
Talking about the impact of NDA rule in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the poor of "every class, every tribe" got pucca houses, toilets, gas connections under him. It was due to the unbiased schemes, Modi says, that they were able to reach the historic Bodo Accord.