Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi while accusing the latter of “institutional capture and dilution of millions of votes”.
In a post shared on X, Kejriwal wrote: “Even after seizing all institutions and cutting millions of votes, what if Modi continues to lose West Bengal elections?”
The circular comes amid rising political tension in West Bengal ahead of elections to the 294-member Assembly scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
The political climate in the state has been characterized by strong exchanges between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, especially over allegations related to revision of voter lists and election preparations.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee recently accused the Election Commission and the BJP of deleting voters’ names on a large scale, claiming that the process will be reversed if his party returns to power. He also questioned the classification of those removed from electoral lists.
On the other hand, the BJP campaigned strongly in West Bengal, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the party’s manifesto for the 2026 Assembly elections. Shah announced that if the BJP comes to power, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in the state within six months.
He also promised strong action against infiltration and cattle smuggling, besides setting up a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate cases of political violence in West Bengal. Shah stressed that the people of the state are seeking change, and claimed that governance under the current regime has led to disappointment and fear among citizens.
As the election campaigns intensify, political leaders from different parties are expected to continue exchanging sharp remarks, further escalating the high-stakes electoral battle in the state. (that I)
