Mamata Banerjee claims EC denied her permission for public meeting in Collin Lane area

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 22 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the commission denied her permission for a public meeting in the Collin Lane area, while prioritising the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi within six hours.

While addressing a public meeting in Jorasanko Assembly Constituency, Banerjee said, "I had a meeting scheduled in the Collin Lane area. If a political party had been holding a meeting there, and I hadn't been granted permission. I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But, I was explicitly told (by the Election Commission), 'We will not grant you permission.' You denied permission for my meeting, yet you prioritise the Prime Minister's meeting within six hours."

Earlier on Monday, Banerjee alleged that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) had planted its "cherry-picked" officers at the airport to deliberately delay her flight.

The Chief Minister said that her flight was kept waiting on the runway for 30 minutes, underlining that the same thing happened with Hemant Soren's chopper as well.

Further, she said that the AITC struggled to get permission for the meeting, further alleging that a BJP leader who is given poll duties has been causing problems to the people of the district.

"We had to struggle a lot to get permission for this meeting. They have cherry-picked officers. They deliberately stopped me so that my programs would get delayed. They are not giving us permission to hold meetings. A person has come who thinks he is a 'big leader' of the BJP. I know the person very well. That person is given duty during the polls. They are troubling the people of this district. We will take revenge democratically," she said.

The polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will be held in two phases. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covers 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase includes 142 seats.

The state is set to witness a high-voltage contest between the incumbent Trinamool Congress, which is seeking a fourth consecutive term, and the BJP, which is aiming to form the government after a strong showing in the previous elections.

In the 2021 Assembly polls, the Congress could not manage to open its account in the seat tally. After a horrendous performance in the last elections, Congress is aiming to turn the contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into a triangular fight.

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