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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFile photo: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee<\/p>\n
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NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress<\/a> chief Mamata Banerjee<\/a> on Sunday accused the BJP<\/a> of bringing in \u201cpaid supporters\u201d from outside the state to influence the upcoming Assembly elections, while also warning her party workers to remain alert against any possible tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).Addressing a press conference in connection with Union home minister Amit Shah\u2019s rally in Bhabanipur, Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to import both outsiders and a culture of political hooliganism into Bengal.\u201cBJP is not just bringing in voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They are bringing in crowds of paid supporters from those states. And along with them, they are trying to import the worst elements of their culture into Bengal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Banerjee also referred to the recent nomination rally of BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur, claiming that outsiders created disturbances during the event.\u201cDuring Suvendu’s nomination rally in Bhabanipur, these outsiders were let loose. They ran amok, tearing down posters and banners, spitting on our campaign material, harassing and heckling women bystanders, and even showing shoes at the sacred Maa Kali temple,\u201d she alleged.Stepping up her attack, the TMC supremo said the BJP\u2019s campaign reflected a politics of intimidation and disrespect.\u201cThis is the ‘Poriborton’ they want to force upon Bengal. A culture of goondagardi, disrespect for women, and contempt for our faith and traditions. Bengal rejects this hooliganism with utter contempt,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Banerjee also raised concerns over the security of EVMs and urged booth-level workers to remain especially vigilant before and after polling.\u201cCheck all EVM machines thoroughly. Booth agents should also check the EVMs thoroughly… I know their plan… After voting, under the watch of CRPF and central forces, they might go inside and change the machine, so we need to keep surveillance for 24 hours. You should carefully watch that they don’t hack the EVM,\u201d she said, as quoted by news agency ANI.Her remarks come amid an increasingly heated election campaign in the state, with both the TMC and BJP accusing each other of intimidation and attempts to influence the electoral process.<\/p>\n Banerjee\u2019s attack followed Union home minister Amit Shah\u2019s visit to West Bengal on April 2, where he campaigned for the BJP and urged voters to remove the TMC from power.Speaking at Suvendu Adhikari\u2019s nomination filing event, Shah said, \u201cThis 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.\u201dHe also made a direct appeal to voters in Bhabanipur, where Banerjee is contesting.\u201cI 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,\u201d Shah said, while alleging that the ruling party had been tainted by corruption.<\/p>\n The BJP\u2019s offensive has also been stepped up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday attacked the Mamata Banerjee government over law and order in the state.PM Modi, speaking at a rally in Cooch Behar, claimed the TMC government was determined to carry out the \u201cfuneral procession\u201d of law and order in West Bengal and said \u201cdemocracy is bleeding every day on the sacred soil of Bengal under the ruthless TMC administration\u201d.He also accused the ruling party of intimidation and warned that \u201cafter May 4, the law will take its course\u201d.The Prime Minister\u2019s remarks came days after the alleged gherao of seven judicial officers, including three women, in Malda district over complaints linked to voter roll deletions during the SIR exercise.<\/p>\n The TMC, meanwhile, has accused the BJP of deliberately trying to create unrest in the run-up to the election.Banerjee has alleged the BJP is attempting to trigger violence and build a case for President\u2019s rule before polling. She also claimed that the recent Malda \u201chostage\u201d incident was orchestrated by the BJP.<\/p>\n West Bengal\u2019s 294-member Assembly will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes will take place on May 4. In the last Assembly election in 2021, the Trinamool Congress secured a landslide victory with 213 seats, while the BJP emerged as the principal opposition with 77 seats. Congress and the Left Front failed to win a single seat.<\/div>\n\nMamata links Bhabanipur tension to Suvendu Adhikari\u2019s nomination rally<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
EVM warning: \u2018Keep surveillance for 24 hours\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Amit Shah, BJP hit back with call to \u2018vote without fear\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
PM Modi sharpens attack, says TMC \u2018hell-bent\u2019 on ruining law and order<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
TMC alleges BJP trying to create unrest before polling<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
High-stakes battle as Bengal votes in two phases<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n