15:15 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
Congress-Communists-TMC did injustice to Gorkhas, claims Amit Shah
Speaking at a rally in Darjeeling ahead of Phase 5 polls in West Bengal on 17 April, Home Minister Amit shah said the trio of Congress-Communists-TMC did injustice to Gorkhas across the country for years.
He went on to say that if the BJP comes to power in the state, the party will provide the status of Scheduled Tribe (ST) to 11 castes of the Gorkha community.
15:06 (IST)
Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
Sushil Chandra assumes charge as Chief Election Commissioner
Sushil Chandra assumed charge as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday.
Chandra was appointed as the CEC on Monday, the day Sunil Arora demitted office. He would demit office on 14 May, 2022. Under him, the Election Commission (EC) will hold Assembly polls in Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
14:59 (IST)
Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
No dearth of women cadres, but parties fail to ensure gender equality
While it is important to highlight the need for women to get more tickets to contest elections and reservation mandates, there is an urgent need for mechanisms within political parties for women to progress and lead.
14:39 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
DMK chief Stalin supports Mamata, tells EC to be ‘neutral’
Supporting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, DMK president MK Stalin said the Election Commission must ensure a level playing field for all parties and maintain impartiality. As Banerjee began a dharna in Kolkata to protest against the poll panel’s decision barring her from campaigning for 24 hours, Stalin said ”faith in our democracy rests on free and fair elections.”
After the EC on Monday barred Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours, her party claimed that the poll panel was behaving like a ”wing of the BJP” and alleged the decision smacked of authoritarianism. The poll panel’s order came after Banerjee’s remarks against central police forces and her statement, which allegedly had religious overtones.
14:35 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
TMC’s vote bank comprises infiltrators, says Amit Shah
Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee’s ‘outsider’ comment against the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and himself, Union minister Amit Shah said it was the Trinamool Congress’ vote bank that comprised of ‘infiltrators’.
“Didi calls me an outsider. She calls the PM an outsider. Didi, I’ll tell you who’s outsider. Communists’ ideology is outsider, brought from China-Russia. Congress’ leadership is outsider, came from Italy,” he told a rally ahead of Phase 5 polls in West Bengal.
#WATCH: HM-BJP leader Amit Shah says, “Didi calls me an outsider. She calls PM an outsider. Didi, I’ll tell you who’s outsider. Communists’ ideology is outsider, brought from China-Russia. Congress’ leadership is outsider, came from Italy. TMC vote bank is outsider, infiltrators” pic.twitter.com/cM3fx30qJo
— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2021
13:55 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
Not much difference between TMC, BJP; Left for change, says Aishe Ghosh
From the protests in front of the admin block or at the Sabarmati Dhaba of the Jawaharlal Nehru University of New Delhi to the roadside tea shops of Jamuria Assembly constituency of Bengal, for 26-year-old CPM MLA candidate Aishe Ghosh nothing much has changed.
Ghosh is the first sitting JNU Student’s Union president to fight an election. “Student politics has made the base of my political understanding. I do not see much of a difference between my politics at JNU and here. You can consider it as an extension of my politics. At JNU we fight for the rights of the students and here our fight is for the better future of my people,” says Ghosh before addressing a street corner at the Jamuria constituency.
13:46 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
BJP will give ST status to 11 Gorkha castes: Amit Shah
While addresing an election campaign in Darjeeling on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Change Mamata Didi and bring a BJP chief minister, the party will provide the status of Scheduled Tribe (ST) to 11 castes of the Gorkha community.”
13:28 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
EC notice to Dilip Ghosh over remarks on Sitalkuchi violence
The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a notice to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh for his alleged remarks that there would be “Sitalkuchi in several places”, after four people were killed when central forces opened fire during polling in Cooch Behar district.
He has been asked to respond to the notice and make his stand clear on his remarks by Wednesday morning.
The Trinamool Congress had approached the Commission against Ghosh.
The notice cited Ghosh’s alleged remarks that “if someone crosses his limits then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places.”
13:12 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
EC issues warning to Suvendu Adhikari
Election Commission warned BJP’s Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari over a speech delivered by him on 29 March, for which he had filed a reply on 9 April. The poll body advised him to desist from using such statements while making public utterances when Model Code of Conduct is in force.
Election Commission of India warns WB BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari over a speech delivered by him on 29th March, for which he had filed a reply on 9th April. EC advises him to desist from using such statements while making public utterances when Model Code of Conduct is in force. pic.twitter.com/03Is42xxQD
— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2021
13:07 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
Amit Shah holds public meeting in Darjeeling
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday was in Darjeeling to address an public meeting. “After we form the govt, we will change Darjeeling Municipality into the Darjeeling Municipal Corporation. The BJP will fight anyone for the respect of our Gorkha brothers. We will work to give official status to the Gorkha language,” Shah said.
12:43 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
EC bans BJP’s Rahul Sinha from campaigning for 48 hours
The Election Commission Tuesday barred BJP leader Rahul Sinha from campaigning for the next 48 hours for his remarks on Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar violence. Commenting on the incident, Sinha had that the central forces should have killed more people in Sitalkuchi.
Ban imposed without giving Sinha a chance to present his defence due to “urgency of the matter”, says EC
12:39 (IST)
West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates
Mamata Banerjee stages protest in Kolkata against EC ban
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee began a dharna on Tuesday at Gandhi Murti in Kolkata, ANI reported, as a mark of protest against what she called the Election Commission’s “unconstitutional decision” to bar her from campaigning for 24 hours in the ongoing state Assembly polls.
Taking to Twitter, the TMC supremo on Monday said, “To protest against the undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission of India, I will sit on dharna tomorrow at Gandhi Murti, Kolkata from 12 noon.”
Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sits on dharna at Gandhi Murti, as a mark of protest after the Election Commission of India (ECI) imposed a ban on her for 24 hours from campaigning in any manner from 8 pm of April 12 till 8 pm of April 13#WestBengalElections pic.twitter.com/BQR0NIIgkT
— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2021
Assembly Election 2021 LATEST Updates: Ghosh has been asked to respond to the notice and make his stand clear on his remarks by 10 am on Wednesday.
Change Mamata Didi and bring a BJP CM, the party will provide the status of Scheduled Tribe to 11 castes of Gorkha community, said the home minister on Tuesday in Darjeeling.
In its order against the TMC supremo, the EC cited her repeated jibes against the central forces questioning their political neutrality, and her appeal to minority voters not to divide their votes between different political parties.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee began a dharna on Tuesday at Gandhi Murti in Kolkata, ANI reported, as a mark of protest against what she called the Election Commission’s “unconstitutional decision” to bar her from campaigning for 24 hours in the ongoing state Assembly polls.
Taking to Twitter, the TMC supremo on Monday said, “To protest against the undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission of India, I will sit on dharna tomorrow at Gandhi
Murti, Kolkata from 12 noon.”
The poll panel’s order had come after Mamata’s remarks against central forces and a statement which had alleged religious overtones.
“Commission hereby condemns such statements potent with serious law and order problems across the state and sternly warns Mamata Banerjee and advises her to desist from using such statements while making public utterances during the period when Model Code of Conduct is in force,” the commission said in its order.
Assembly polls in West Bengal began on 27 March, and the remaining four of the eight phases of elections will be held between 17 and 29 April.
Members of the Trinammol Congress joined Mamata in slamming the poll panel for its decision on her.
Coming down heavily on the EC, TMC national vice-president Yashwant Sinha said every institution of democracy has been compromised.
“We always had a doubt about the impartiality of the EC. But, today it has shed whatever pretence it had. Now it is clear that EC is acting at the behest of Modi/Shah and under their direct order. Every institution of democracy is compromised today. What hope do we have?” he tweeted.
Echoing him, other senior leaders of the party claimed that the poll panel was behaving like a “wing of the BJP” and its decision smacks of authoritarianism.
Derek O’Brien, the ruling party’s Rajya Sabha MP, said it was a black day for India’s democracy.
“EC stands for Extremely Compromised. 12 April is a BLACK DAY in our democracy. Always knew we were winning Bengal,” O’Brien tweeted.
Another party leader, Kunal Ghosh, said the decision to ban the TMC chief from campaigning for 24 hours is “atrocious and smacks of authoritarianism”.
“The EC is behaving like a wing of the BJP. The ban is atrocious and smacks of authoritarianism. The sole aim of the EC is to stop Mamata from campaigning as the BJP has already sensed defeat. This shameful,” he stated.
The BJP, however, welcomed the decision and accused TMC of vitiating the poll discourse.
“The EC did the right thing. The way TMC leaders are instigating the people against the EC and the central forces is unacceptable,” BJP leader Sourav Sikdar said.