West Bengal Elections 2021 Highlights: It’s the assembly elections season in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Polling happened in a single phase in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 6, while voters in Assam cast their votes in three phases. Polling in Bengal is happening in eight phases. Of these, six phases have concluded. The next phase will take place on April 26. Counting of votes in all states will happen on May 2. In Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is fighting to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s surge at bay. The saffron party has shown a dramatic electoral rise in the state over the last few years. In Assam, the state’s governing BJP is hoping to retain power even as it faces ‘Mahajot’, the joint opposition alliance comprising the Congress, AIUDF and other regional parties. Congress and the Left Front, which are allies in Bengal, are competing for power in Kerala. The Congress-led UDF and the ruling LDF have been winning alternate elections since the early 1980s. Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK has continued its alliance with the BJP amid a challenge from MK Stalin-led DMK and its alliance partners. However, one of the key things to watch out for in the southern state is how some of the smaller parties – including that of actor Kamal Haasan and TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK – may impact the poll outcome. With their government having collapsed due to defections weeks before the election, V Narayanasamy-led Congress is battling the BJP-NR Congress alliance in Puducherry.
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PM Modi tempers attack on Mamata Banerjee as he winds up Bengal campaign
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday accused West Bengal's TMC government of partonising illegal immigration from Bangladesh and extortion syndicates but uncharacteristically avoided personally targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee. Addressing a virtual rally at Shaheed Minar ground from New Delhi, he said West Bengal needed peace for development.
(PTI)
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Bengal unit of BJP has announced that it will provide COVID-19 vaccines free of cost once it comes to power in Bengal. "As soon as BJP government comes to power in West Bengal, COVID-19 vaccine will be provided free of cost to everyone," Bengal BJP tweeted today.
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Twenty-three percent of the 284 candidates contesting in phase seven of the West Bengal Assembly polls this year are crorepati, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms stated. Among the major parties, 26 (72 percent) out of 36 candidates analysed from the AITC, 11 (58 percent) out of 19 candidates analysed from the Congress, 13 (36 percent) out of 36 candidates analysed from the BJP and 1 (8 percent) out of 13 candidates analysed from the CPI(M) have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore.
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Twenty-six percent of the 284 candidates contesting in phase seven of the West Bengal Assembly polls this year have declared criminal cases against themselves, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms stated. "Out of 284 candidates analysed, 73 (26 percent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. About 60 (21 percent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves," the poll rights body said.
Among the major parties, 9 (69 percent) out of 13 candidates analysed from the CPI(M), 19 (53 percent) out of 36 candidates analysed from the AITC, 19 (53 percent) out of 36 candidates analysed from the BJP and 9 (47 percent) out of 19 candidates analysed from the Congress have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
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Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped today's meeting of CMs with PrimeMinister Narendra Modi over the COVID-19 situation, sources said.Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay represented the state at the review meeting, which was held via videoconference, they said. Banerjee had earlier skipped a few similar meetings as she was busy campaigning for the ongoing assembly elections. (PTI)
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to address four public meetings today. Noting that the BJP realises the gravity of the ongoing COVId-19 situation and the rationale for him not being able to visit the state in person, the party's West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh said they requested him to give one address through a virtual medium to which he agreed. After the BJP decided to call off all big political meetings and rallies in view of rising COVID-19 cases and restrict its campaign to a maximum of 500 people in the state, Modi's proposed meetings for Saturday were clubbed with his Friday campaign. Opposition leaders have been critical of the BJP for the big rallies of its leaders at the time of surging COVID-19 cases. (PTI)
West Bengal Elections 2021 LIVE Updates | PM Modi mentioned 2018 Asansol riots in speech to provoke voters, says CM Mamata Banerjee
Bengal ChiefMinisterMamataBanerjeealleged that Prime MinisterNarendraModireminded people of 2018Asansolriots during his rally last week to "provoke" voters amid the ongoing elections, and asserted that it was "unbecoming" ofsomeone of his stature. TheTMCboss, who addressed three rallies yesterday, said it was a "matter of shame" that the PM, with his "provocative" remarks, tried to influence people. "You, members of different communities, are living in harmony. The other day, however, the prime minister visitedAsansoland made many objectionable comments... he brought up the issue of riots and made provocative statements. Thisdoesn't befit a PM, or a home minister," she said.
Modi, during his address, had referred to theAsansolriots in 2018 on the occasion of RamNavami, and indirectly blamed theTMCdispensation for the violence. (PTI)
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The polling in the Bengal Assembly election is being held in eight phases. Of these, six phases have concluded, and the remaining two phases will be held on April 26 and April 29. In the next phase, as many as 36 constituencies across four districts will vote. There are 284 candidates are in the fray in this phase.
West Bengal Elections 2021 LIVE Updates | TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Twitter:
Hours after PM cancelled his meetings in West Bengal, the Election Commission comes out with restrictions on political meetings. Coincidence much,ECI? TheECIcould have acted much earlier on this, but alas it only acts after taking instructions from the PM and Home Minister. I havecancelledall my public meetings henceforth and will reach out to people virtually. Although 500 people are still allowed in public meetings, I'd urge the EC to stop them too. Bengal wants to fightCOVIDwhile the Tourist Gang is busy fighting against Bengal!
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the voters of Birbhum, Kolkata, Malda and Murshidabad today at 4.30 pm. The address willstreamlive on:
> Facebook/BJP4India
> Twitter/BJP4India
> YouTube/BJP4India
>BJP'sofficial website - bjplive.org
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Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has canceled all pre-scheduled poll meetings. She will now address people virtually.
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Polling in Bengal is happening in eight phases. Of these, six phases have concluded. The next phase will take place on April 26. Counting of votes will happen on May 2 along with Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
West Bengal Elections 2021 LIVE Updates | Congress takes dig at EC over restrictions announced on poll campaigning in Bengal
After the Election Commission (EC) imposed strict restrictions on holding public rallies and poll campaigning in West Bengal, the Congress said the direction has come late as the Assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory are almost over. "Ha! Ha! Ha!. What a strong direction by ECI after elections are over in 4 States and nearly over in the fifth State," Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala wrote on Twitter.
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The Election Commission has extended the silence period to 72 hours from 48 hours before the end of the polling in Phase 6, Phase 7 and Phase 8 in West Bengal. In view of the extension of the silence period, there would in any case be no campaigning from 6.30 pm on April 26 (date of poll of 7th phase) to April 29 (date of poll of 8th phase).
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The Election Commission made clear that permission for roadshows, cycle, bike or vehicle rallies, if granted already, stands withdrawn. The order came on a day when the state registered the highest single-day spike of 11,948 COVID-19 cases. In a letter addressed to heads of all recognised parties on April 21, the commission had referred to the directions of the Calcutta High Court issued on April 20 which said that it would be open for the EC and the state chief electoral officer to take requisite steps and also to ensure successful implementation of COVID protocols by requiring strict compliance of prescribed guidelines and orders by all political parties, candidates and all other concerned with the poll process. The EC had recently prohibited campaign between 7 pm and 10 am to discourage public gatherings. (PTI)
West Bengal Elections 2021 LIVE Updates | Police firing, stray violence reported in sixth phase of polling
Isolated incidents of violence,including police firing, were reported in the sixth phase of polling in 43 assembly constituencies of West Bengal. Seven persons, including two policemen, were injured in two incidents of violence in Bagdah and Barrackpore constituencies in North 24 Parganas district. The police fired three rounds after about 250 peopleattacked and injured two policemen near a booth in the Bagdah seat. The police went there after the sector officer wasattacked, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab said. The police personnel, including the officer-in-charge (OC) of Bagdah police station, were admitted to a hospital. Two other persons, of whom one has bullet injuries, were alsohospitalised, the CEO said. (PTI)
Hello and welcome to Moneycontrol’s LIVE coverage of the campaigning for Assembly election 2021.
It’s the assembly elections season in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Polling happened in a single phase in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 6, while voters in Assam cast their votes in three phases. Polling in Bengal is happening in eight phases. Of these, five phases have concluded.
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for the latest updates through the day.
