The Election Commission on Wednesday issued notice to West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for seeking votes over communal grounds. The notice comes over her statement on 3rd April, where she said," appealing Muslim voters to not let their vote be split among different political parties & demanding votes on communal ground for TMC"EC has asked her to explain her stand within 48 hours. The notice is based on a complaint by a BJP delegation led by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Earlier, lashing out at Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the TMC supremo's appeal to Muslims to vote en bloc for her party reflects fears that minority votes are slipping out of her hands.
Modi, who addressed two public meetings during the day, also pointed out that a similar appeal to Hindus by his party would have drawn the wrath of the media and the Election Commission. Asserting that Banerjee has problems with people sporting a 'Tilak' and wearing saffron, Modi said her angry reactions indicate that she has already lost the elections." Didi recently asked all Muslims to vote en bloc for her. It shows that the Muslim vote bank is slipping out of her hands. Had we said the same thing that all Hindus should unite, everybody would have criticised us. The EC would have sent us notices. We would have been censured," Modi said. Polling has been completed in 91 of the 294 assembly seats in the state, which will see five more phases of election. The next phase of the election in West Bengal will be held on April 10. The eighth and final phase of voting will be conducted on April 29 in that state.