Mamata Banerjee has requested the election commission to “eliminate doubts in the minds of the people” about the increased percentage….reports Asian Lite News
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed doubts on the latest figures released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on polling percentage in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19 and April 26.
“The commission gave a figure on polling percentage immediately after the elections. Yesterday, I heard that the figure increased 5.75 percentage points. I doubt the percentage has increased in places where polling in favour of BJP was less. I request the commission to eliminate doubts in the minds of the people about the increased percentage. The commission should be unbiased,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an election meet at Malda on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Union government especially neglects West Bengal since the percentages of minority and Backward Class populations in the state are comparatively higher.
“They deprive West Bengal of central funds. Our population is much higher than that of Gujarat,” the Chief Minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, she expressed sadness over lack of support in Malda District despite her government doing a lot of development work in West Bengal.
“The votes in Malda are shared between the BJP and the Congress. I do not understand why we do not get votes in Malda. Who will speak about the district on the floor of the Parliament then” the Chief Minister asked.
Speaking at the rally, she once again attacked the BJP over the recent verdict of a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court cancelling as many as 25,573 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools.
“They are responsible for the cancellation of so many jobs. Can they be spared even after that? Whenever we try to give jobs BJP creates hurdles for that through central agencies,” the Chief Minister alleged.
‘Congress-CPI-M helping BJP’
Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Congress and CPI-M are helping the BJP in those Lok Sabha constituencies of the state where the victory of her Trinamool Congress was assured.
“In those seats where the victories of our candidates are assured, both the Congress and the CPI-M are providing clandestine support to BJP. In West Bengal; BJP has two eyes – the first is the CPI-M and the second is the Congress,” she said while addressing an election meeting at Murshidabad.
Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool supremo, once again expressed apprehension of a division in the anti-BJP votes in West Bengal helping the BJP.
“We are supporting the other parties which are fighting against BJP in other states. But remember in West Bengal, only Trinamool Congress is fighting against the BJP. So please do not divide your votes in West Bengal this time. I realise that often people do not vote for other parties just out of love. But everybody is frustrated with BJP,” she said.
Two Lok Sabha constituencies in Murshidabad district, Jangipur and Murshidabad, are going for polls in the third phase on May 7. The third constituency from the district, Baharampur is going for polls in the fourth phase on May 13.
At Baharampur, the most important candidate is state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, against whom Trinamool has fielded former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan. At Murshidabad, the star candidate is CPI-M Politburo member and the party’s state Secretary Md Salim.
TMC removes Kunal Ghosh from General Secy post
Hours after Trinamool Congress’ state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh showered praises on Tapas Roy, the BJP candidate from Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha constituency, the ruling party on Wednesday removed Ghosh from the post.
A statement issued by Trinamool’s national spokesman Derek O’Brien said that since he has been removed from the post of General Secretary, the media outlets should not treat his views as that of the party in the future.
“Recently, Kunal Ghosh expressed views that do not align with the party’s viewpoint. It is important to clarify that these are his personal opinions and should not be attributed to the party. Only the statements issued from the Trinamool Congress headquarters should be considered as the party’s official position,” the statement read.
Till recently, Ghosh was also the state spokesman of the party. However, he resigned from that post but continued as the state General Secretary.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ghosh shared the stage with Roy, who quit the Trinamool and joined the BJP earlier this year, during a blood donation camp organised in South Kolkata, where he described the latter as an “ideal” candidate.
“I have nothing new to say about Roy as an elected public representative. He has always been in public service. His doors were always open for the people. We wanted to retain him in the (Trinamool) family. But unfortunately, we could not.
“Today he is a candidate of the opposing party. We will work for our party candidate, while Roy’s supporters will work for him,” said Ghosh, with Roy sitting behind with a smile on his face.
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