'Watch out for role of regional parties'

Kandi/Jangipur: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched an all-out attack against the BJP at Kandi and Jangipur rallies on Wednesday. Stating that the regional parties would play a vital role to form the government at the Centre, the Chief Minister added: "The BJP will be voted out of power and the Congress will not be able to form the government singly. The BJP will not get more than 100 seats."

Addressing two rallies at Kandi and Jangipur, she maintained: "The BJP will get zero seats in Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Moreover, if they get fewer seats in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan as well, how will they become the hero in the 2019 election," she said. Jangipur will vote on April 23 while Berhampur will go to polls on April 29. In 2014, Congress candidates had won both the Berhampur and Jangipur seats.

Banerjee alleged that RSS and BJP are backing the Congress candidates in these seats and maintained: "The RSS is trying to buy votes. If you see them distributing money, take their photographs and send us. The RSS has no work and they are here to create division among people."

The Chief Minister further said people had lost respect for political leaders and had developed fear in the mind about them.

"People are scared of the BJP leaders. The moment you go against them, agencies such as CBI, ED and DRI will harass you. People have never seen a political party with so much vengeance ever. See their body language, it is scary," she said.

Talking about DMK leader K Kanimozhi, whose residence was recently searched by the Income Tax officials, she said: "They sent the Income Tax department officials to the house of (DMK chief) M K Stalin's sister Kanimozhi to conduct raids. He is harassing (Telugu Desam Party chief) Chandrababu Naidu and Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh and (Janata Dal-Secular leader) H D Kumaraswamy in Karnataka.

"Even Arvind Kejriwal, Mayawatiji or Akhilesh (Yadav) have not been spared. Lalu Prasad has been put to jail. He is harassing everyone. People of Bengal are still living in peace because we are here," Banerjee said.