After Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to know if Mamata Banerjee would contest the assembly election from another seat, implying her loss in Nandigram is imminent, the ruling Trinamool (TMC) in Bengal clarified that she had no such intention.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, taking a jibe at the prime minister, asked him to “look for a safer seat in 2024”, adding that he will be “challenged” in Varanasi.
“Didi is winning Nandigram. The question of her fighting from another seat doesn’t arise. @narendramodi Ji, retract from your efforts to mislead people before they see your lies with the end of nomination in WB. Look for a safer seat in 2024, as you will be challenged in Varanasi,” TMC said in a tweet.
Didi is winning Nandigram. The question of her fighting from another seat doesn't arise. @narendramodi Ji, retract from your efforts to mislead people before they see your lies with the end of nomination in WB. Look for a safer seat in 2024, as you will be challenged in Varanasi.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) April 1, 2021
TMC’s firebrand leader Mahua Moitra also took a swipe at PM Modi over the same and said sarcastically, “Contesting from second seat? PM Modi jabs Mamata Banerjee Yes Mr. Prime Minister, she will. And it will be Varanasi! So go get your armour on”.
‘Contesting from second seat?’
PM Modi jabs Mamata BanerjeeYes Mr. Prime Minister, she will.
And it will be Varanasi!So go get your armour on.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 1, 2021
‘Contesting from second seat?’
PM Modi jabs Mamata BanerjeeYes Mr. Prime Minister, she will.
And it will be Varanasi!So go get your armour on.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 1, 2021
Earlier on Thursday, TMC gad dismissed PM Modi’s claim that Mamata Banerjee will contest Bengal Assembly Election from another seat apart from Nandigram. “The question of CM fighting from any second seat doesn’t arise. She is winning Nandigram comfortably,” top sources in the TMC told India Today TV.
The clarification from the TMC came after PM Modi claimed that Mamata Banerjee will now be filing her nomination from a second seat.
What PM Modi said
“Didi, is there any truth in the rumour that you are going to file nomination from another constituency? First, you went there [Nandigram] and people gave you an answer. If you go somewhere else, the people of Bengal are ready,” PM Modi said while addressing a poll rally in Uluberia.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Jaiprakash Majumdar, echoing the prime minister, said that Banerjee is “likely to contest from another seat after sensing defeat in Nandigram”, an assertion rejected by the TMC leadership.
Phase 2 voting in Bengal assembly election
While TMC and the BJP were targeting each other, more than a crore people voted to elect candidates across 30 seats in Bengal in the second phase of voting in the 2021 Assembly election that took place on Thursday.
As the last update by the Election Commission (EC), Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 80.43 per cent till 6 pm on Thursday.
Voting was conducted amid heavy security cover as well as Covid-19 restrictions. Tensions flared in Bengal during voting. The state not only saw incidents of violence but also an enraged CM Mamata Banerjee accuse the Election Commission of favouring the BJP.
Source: Free Press Journal
