"Mamata is afraid as she knows once BJP wins in Bengal, TMC will be finished permanently": Assam CM Sarma

Cooch Behar (West Bengal) [India], April 18 : With just five days left for the first phase of voting for West Bengal assembly polls, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that Trinamool Congress (TMC) will be finished "permanently" after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in the state.

The 1st phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections will be held on April 23, covering 152 constituencies. Phase 1 includes constituencies from Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Paschim Bardhaman, and parts of Birbhum and Nadia. The spread covers border districts, tribal belts, tea garden regions, and industrial areas.

While addressing a public rally in Cooch Behar, Sarma claimed that the politics of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be finished once the BJP forms the state government.

"Why is Mamata afraid of Modi because she knows that if the BJP ever comes to power in Bengal, her politics will be over. Just as we permanently locked away Congress in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, and in Bihar. Once the BJP wins here, TMC too will be finished permanently," Sarma said.

"I'm amazed when I hear their claims. Sometimes I watch TV and laugh. Humayun Kabir said he will build the Babri Masjid. In reality, they can't deliver. With a BJP government, all of this will be settled in one go," he added.

Earlier in the day, TMC filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of making "communally charged, inciteful and divisive" remarks against Mamata Banerjee during an election rally in the state.

In a letter submitted on behalf of the party, TMC leader Derek O'Brien alleged that Sarma, while campaigning in Cooch Behar on April 16, made statements that were not only inflammatory but also defamatory in nature against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The complaint further stated that the remarks were aimed at polarising voters along religious lines ahead of the Assembly polls.

According to the letter, Sarma allegedly suggested that Mamata Banerjee fears a BJP government in the state because it may impose a ban on beef. He also purportedly linked beef consumption to specific communities and made claims regarding activities such as smuggling and the establishment of beef shops in certain areas. The TMC termed these remarks as "baseless, vexatious and motivated".

The second phase of polling will be held on April 29 in the remaining 142 constituencies, with the results for all 294 seats will be declared on May 4.

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.

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