West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a rally during a public meeting in Raniganj, West Bengal. Photo: X/@AITCofficial via PTI.
The BJP is trying to “loot” West Bengal and take over the state, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said at an election rally on Saturday (March 28).
“They (BJP) will change our food habits, grab our land, ruin and destroy everything… The conspiracy is trying to end Bengal and make the state cease to exist,” she said.
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Referring to the violence that broke out during the Ram Navami celebrations at Murshidabad in Raghunathgunj on Friday (March 27), Ms Banerjee said she was left helpless and unable to take any action as all the officers working under her were replaced by the Election Commission after the election was announced.
“Please don’t blame me for the law and order situation. I have no powers as all the officers have been replaced. The BJP has selected officers for the state,” Ms Banerjee said at a rally in Pashchim Bardhaman’s Raniganj. She further stated that she will not spare any of the accused in the long term and will hold them accountable “today or tomorrow”.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said the State Election Commission has received a report on the incident and confirmed that 29 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
In an appeal to the audience, Ms. Banerjee said that if they vote for the BJP, it will force them to eat vegetarian food, take away their freedom of choice of clothing, destroy the education system and stop all welfare schemes started by her government. “If you don’t want these things to stop, vote for no one but Trinamool,” Banerjee added.
. In the three rallies she attended on Saturday, the Trinamool chairperson sharpened her attacks on the EC and the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process. Given the alleged large-scale “targeted deletion”, she wanted to know how the deleted voters would seek redress if the additional lists were not published. She also said that women, Muslims, Adivasi and other community voters were targeted in the SIR process.
Additional lists with the names of 60,000 voters who were convicted are published gradually. Two lists have been published so far. Although the election is only three weeks away, thousands of voters in many constituencies are still unsure of their voting rights.
At a rally in Birbhum’s Labhpur, Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s representative, urged voters to reduce the BJP’s assembly seats below 50 (from the current 77). “This election is not just about bringing Mamat Banerjee to power for a fourth term, it is about reducing BJP’s seats. Wherever they win, the poor people suffer the most,” he added.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29. The votes will be counted on May 4.
Published – 28 March 2026 15:57 IST
