For peace to prevail in state, ensure TMC's victory: Mamata

Bhagwangola: Stating that she will never allow Bengal to turn to riot-torn Gujarat, TMC chairperson urged the people of Murshidabad to ensure win of her party in all the 22 seats in the district that was once known to be Congress' stronghold.

Banerjee also gave the same call to bag all the 12 seats in adjacent Malda district as well while addressing a public meeting in Murshidabad. Banerjee held three back-to-back rallies—at Bhagwangola, Nabagram and Samserganj—though each were of short duration due to Covid situation.

"This election is all about saving the prestige of Bengal. We cannot let Bengal turn to Gujarat and the people of Murshidabad, that is the land of History, and Malda have to play a pivotal role. Do not cast a single vote in favour of the Congress, Left and the party from Hyderabad as they all are playing as B-team of BJP. It is only in Bengal where I have not allowed NRC and for the peace to prevail you have to ensure that TMC win in all the Assembly segments in Murshidabad and Malda," Banerjee said.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls TMC led in 17 out of 22 Assembly segments in Murshidabad. It had bagged two - Jangipur and Murshidabad - out of three Lok Sabha seats. Only Adhir Chowdhury had won as Congress candidate from Behrampore defeating TMC's Apurba Sarkar (David). It needs a mention that TMC was ahead in four Assembly segments in Behrampore and Adhir Chowdhury was ahead in three including by around 90,000 votes in Behrampore Assembly constituency. TMC had bagged Jangipur, from where former president Pranab Mukherjee used to win, by defeating his son Abhijit Mukherjee in 2019.

Reacting to the Election Commission's decision to hold elections in two Assembly constituencies, which were countermanded with deaths of candidates due to Covid, on May 13, Banerjee said: "EC must have missed the dates in calendar. Whatever they do whether they hold elections on the day of Eid or Durga Puja people will come out to cast their votes."

She cautioned people saying that BJP has hatched a plan to create riot, she said: "The month of Ramadan is going on and tomorrow is Ram Navami. We must observe in peace without getting trapped into any conspiracy of the BJP."

She also held the Centre responsible as no money has been sanctioned yet for dredging of Farakka. She also stated about the need to set up a board to check erosion in river Ganga. "Bangladesh was given Ganges water under the terms of the Indo-Bangla water treaty. But the Centre did not dredge the Farakka barrage that leads flood in Bihar, Murshidabad and Malda," she said.