Wednesday’s joint campaign by Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi and former Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had an immense impact on the electorate, State Opposition leader and apparent face of the Congress-left alliance SK Mishra said on Thursday.
“The joint photo-op of these two top leaders has sent out a clear message among the people who will vote in the last two phases on April 30 and May 5. The impact of the joint campaign will be immense and the message it has sent out will chase Mamata Banerjee like a nightmare for her remaining days in power,” he said.
Mishra was reacting to Banerjee’s election speech saying, “after May 19, when the result will be out both CPI(M) and Congress will be reduced to mere signboards as people of Bengal will never forgive such an unethical alliance where the two ideologically opposite groups have come together just for the sake of grabbing power.”
Meanwhile, apprehending heavy influx of armed miscreants the Bengal Opposition parties on Thursday demanded sealing of borders and clamping of Section 144 on election-bound districts of Hooghly, South 24 Parganas and Kolkata.
Meanwhile, the campaigning for three districts ended on Thursday evening.
Coming out of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb said, “We have demanded the sealing of borders and clamping of Section 144 in the election areas as there are reports that after failing to get popular support during the previous polls the Trinamool is planning to push in seasoned criminals in Hooghly, Kolkata and South 24 Parganas. This has to be stopped at any cost. The Election Commission has assured that proper and all required measures will be taken to ensure fee and fair elections.”
Banerjee who on Thursday walked at the head of a huge procession in South Kolkata lambasted the Election Commission for showing “unprecedented bias in order to favour the Congress, left and BJP which have teamed up to defeat us but will eventually be failed by the people.”
“The Opposition is expecting 200 seats but first they should get 20 seats,” Banerjee said adding, “no curfew and no amount of torture by the EC can stop the people from voting.” She wondered why the Commission was asking the people to come out in great numbers to vote but at the same time slapping Section 144.
BJP leader JP Majumdar who also said that his party would approach the poll panel demanding highest security in the final two phases said, “The Chief Minister has gone crazy as defeat is staring her in the face.”
The BJP is also moving the Election Commission to demand “Nazarebandi” for jailed Trinamool leader Madan Mitra who was on Wednesday shifted to SSKM Hospital on account of deteriorating health.
“As Mitra is a Bhawanipore citizen and controls a large brigade of musclemen, we will tell the Election Commission that he must not be allowed to use phones and must be under surveillance of the panel,” he said.