Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 29 : Amid the second and final phase of polling in the West Bengal Assembly elections on Wednesday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien took a sharp swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, daring him to resign from the top post if the ruling TMC wins the state.
In a post on X, O'Brien said, "Narendra, you had announced that you are the candidate for all 294 seats in Bengal. Drop the big talk. Accept this challenge."
He further wrote, "On 4 May, when Mamata Banerjee and TMC win Bengal, RESIGN FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S POST. Got the guts?"
The provocative challenge comes as West Bengal records high voter turnout in the Phase 1 election, with results scheduled to be declared on May 4.
TMC is seeking a fourth consecutive term under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while the BJP has mounted a strong campaign to dislodge the ruling party.
The first phase of elections on April 23 had seen a record 91.78 per cent polling. The voting on Wednesday will decide the electoral fate of 1,448 candidates, which includes 1,228 men and 220 women. The Election Commission has made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the polling process.
Of over 3.22 crore total voters, 3.21 crore are general electors and nearly 40,000 are service voters. There are 1.64 crore male electors and 1.57 crore female electors, and 792 have been identified as the third gender.
Over 4.12 lakh voters are in the 18-19 age bracket, and over 3,200 voters are 100 years and above. There are over 57,000 voters with disabilities (PWD). The Election Commission has set up 41,001 polling stations for the smooth conduct of elections. These include 39,301 main stations and 1700 auxiliary stations.
There are 8,845 all-women-managed stations, 13 PWD-managed stations, and 258 "model" polling stations. There will be webcasting from all 41,001 polling stations.
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