BJP Tried To Cancel My Nomination

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the BJP of trying to cancel her candidature in her constituency Bhowanipore with the help of the Election Commission, but failed. “BJP, with the help of the EC, tried to invalidate my candidature by making two false statements against me. But we foiled their game plan,” he said.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari is the BJP candidate against him in Bhowanipore.

Addressing a poll campaign rally at Keshiary in West Midnapore, he came out against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, a day after the BJP made a major promise in its manifesto, stating that it would not allow it to be implemented in Bengal. “BJP has promised this so that they can take away your rights to practice your religious belief and follow customary rituals. By implementing UCC, they are trying to ensure that all religious practices are the same. UCC stands for one BJP, one rule. Why are you bringing such bills in Parliament when we are busy with elections? If you are no longer in power in Delhi, we will scrap such draconian Bills. We will not allow it to be implemented in West Bengal,” Banerjee said.

He also questioned other promises of the BJP at another rally in Jhargram. “Suddenly in the surveys, there is talk of 33 percent reservation for women. So, what is the representation of women in their own parties? Why did they not implement this promise earlier?” The CM wondered before asking: “What happened to women wrestlers? What happened in the Unnao and Hathras incidents?”

In a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, who were campaigning in the state throughout the day, Banerjee said: “They are like migratory birds. Why do they disappear during natural disasters?”

Addressing a rally in Murshidabad, his nephew MP Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the TMC will restore the voting rights of those whose names were deleted by the Election Commission in a special intensive revision within a month of winning the elections on May 4. “You are all citizens of this country and you should not panic or worry,” he said.