Assembly Elections 2021 News Highlights: WB, Assam set for first phase polling, CM Sonowal among contestants

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Politically volatile states of West Bengal and Assam will go to polls in the first phase of assembly elections on Saturday amid a resurgent COVID-19 crisis to decide the fate of a number of top politicians including Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The assembly elections to the two states apart from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry are the first, after the state polls in Bihar, to be held during the pandemic.

Polling will be held in 30 of the 294 constituencies of West Bengal and 47 of the 126 in Assam which together have 1.54 crore eligible voters who can exercise their franchise on Saturday. (PTI)

Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari Friday lashed out at the Congress for its "guarantee" to the people of Assam of bringing in a legislation in the state assembly to nullify the Citizenship (Amendment) Act if voted to power in the state.

The union road transport minister said Congress is engaged in opportunistic vote bank politics and has compromised the country's security by its minority appeasement. Without taking any name, he said some people and some party have supported infiltration in Assam and tried to give the infiltrators voting rights, which is not beneficial for the country.

BJP's political agenda on the other hand is development, unity and security of the country and the party is fully committed to it, he said addressing poll rallies at Dharmapur and Golakganj and at a press conference here. "The CAA is a central law. No one can change it in an Assembly. Rahul Gandhi does not know that or what?" he said.

PTI

West Bengal BJP files a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer over the alleged killing of a BJP worker by TMC in Midnapore, reported news agency ANI.

The Left Front and the Indian Secular Front on Friday urged the Election Commission to ensure hotels and guest houses in constituencies in West Bengal going for polls on Saturday are not occupied by "outsiders". "We have seen hotels and guest houses are still being occupied by outsiders, including BJP leaders, in areas of the five districts where polling will take place in the first phase on March 27," CPI(M) leader Robin Dev told reporters here.

Dev said a delegation of the Left Front and the ISF also called upon the EC to completely ban bike rallies instead of disallowing those 72 hours before polling. "This is departure from the EC''s earlier commitment of banning bike rallies, which intimidate people. We guess the decision was modified at the behest of a party organising road shows," he said.

The delegation also asked for deployment of adequate forces in the 30 assembly seats going for polls. "TMC goons sheltered by the outgoing MLA of Canning East Saukat Molla are terrorising ISF and Left supporters in the area, including Jibontola in South 24 Parganas district," Dev claimed. "We voice apprehension that TMC will try to disrupt the proposed meeting of CPI(M) MP Mohammed Salim and Abbas Siddiqui of the ISF on Sunday in Jibontola," he added.

PTI

"It is a direct assault on the development of the state and an attempt to tarnish the credibility of a financial institution,"Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said, while reacting to the Income Taxraid at Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) headquarters.

"Election Commission of India has notified the period between 7 am on 27th March and7:30 pm on 29th April, 2021, as the period during which conducting any exit poll and publishing result of exit poll shall be prohibited in the four states & UT where polls will held from tomorrow," the polling body said in a statement.

"Hooliganism has increased here at behest of history sheeter, Sheikh Sufian, Abu Tahir, Sheikh Shahabuddin and Babul Akhtar. I met observer regarding this. I've requested him for prompt police action andthat such goons be monitored and taken into custody,"news agency ANI quoted Union Minister DharmendraPradhan as saying.

Nandigram BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari writes to Election Commission, seeking suspension of Haldia AdditionalSP Partha Ghosh, Haldia SDPO Barunbaidya andsome other officers of Nandigram Police Station "for helping TMC members in carrying out malpractices, irregularities during polls", news agency ANI reported.

TMC writes to Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, "seeking deployment of additional CAPF at Bhagabanpur, Khejuri, Egra, Ramnagar" and "harbouring of criminals by Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram". pic.twitter.com/MAAsN0B9mJ

— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2021

"Rahul Gandhi says that Badaruddin Ajmal is the symbol of Assam. If Badaruddin Ajmal andCongress form govt, once again intruders will start intruding andsnatch away employment of the youth of Assam,"Home Minister andBJP leader Amit Shah said while campaigning Karimganj, according to news agency ANI.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said the BJP will enact laws to tackle the 'menace of love and land jihad' in Assam if it is voted to power.

Addressing an election rally, Shah said appropriate laws and policies will be put in place to strengthen Assamese culture and civilisation.

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