Central forces will remain in West Bengal for another 60 days after the Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday, asking voters to vote without fear of “Didi’s goons” in the second and final phase of the elections.
“Brothers and sisters, go and vote on the 29th, don’t worry about Didi’s (Mamata Banerjee) goons. The Election Commission has deployed civilian police forces in every nook and corner. I am telling you that even though the BJP has come to power after the elections, the central forces will remain here for another 60 days,” he said.
Shah was addressing a rally in the Behalla district of West Bengal, where voting will take place on April 29, the final phase of the legislative council elections in the state. The first stage of voting was held on April 23 in 152 electoral districts for the 294-member council.
Standing on an open car, Shah greeted his supporters and scattered flower petals to the crowds gathered on both sides of the road.
Shah appeared confident of the BJP’s victory in the state and reiterated the party’s promise to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
“BJP will definitely form the government.” “Where is the fear? We have to implement the Union Carbide Act. Our agenda is that there cannot be four marriages in India. So far, no major incidents of violence have been reported. Not a single death has occurred. The elections are being held peacefully.” Shah said.
He added: “After May 4, no one will be allowed to practice polygamy.”
Once voted to power, the BJP will take strict action against infiltrators and those involved in political violence, he added, referring to the TMC.
“I want to warn Didi’s goons in Chandanagar – don’t come out to intimidate voters on April 29. After May 4, the BJP will punish the culprits and hang them upside down,” he said.
The EC says 500 CAPF companies will be deployed in West Bengal
The Election Commission had earlier this month said that as many as 500 CAPFs would remain deployed across West Bengal for post-poll law and order duties even after the results are declared and would remain “till further orders”.
Each CAPF company has approximately 100 employees. A record number of 2,450 central paramilitary companies, comprising nearly 2.5 lakh personnel, were deployed across the state for the Assembly elections. The Pakistan News Agency reported that 2,321 of these companies were deployed in the second phase of polling.
Shah and the Election Commission’s statements were intended to avoid a repeat of the post-election unrest in 2021. Following the announcement of the assembly election results on May 2 that year, widespread violence erupted in multiple areas, with reports of killings, arson, looting, assaults, sexual violence and forced displacement of opposition workers, particularly amid clashes between BJP and TMC supporters.
In his other promotional speech in Chandanagar in Hooghly district, Shah repeated his accusations against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claiming that she was resisting efforts to remove infiltrators from voter rolls and alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress was protecting illegal immigrants for the sake of vote bank politics.
“Didi feels pain when we say that infiltrators should be removed. She is against the SIR. At present, names have been removed from the electoral rolls, and after May 4, all infiltrators will be identified and removed from Bengal,” he said.
He added, “So far, there has not been a major violent incident. Not a single death has occurred. The elections are taking place peacefully.”
Shah also attacked the TMC for wanting to build the Babri Mosque in Bengal.
“Mamata Didi wants her partner Humayun Kabir to build Babri Mosque in Bengal. Didi, listen carefully. Bengal is in India. We will never allow Babri Mosque to be built in Bengal,” Shah said.
He accused the TMC government of widespread corruption in social welfare programmes, warning that those involved would face consequences if the BJP came to power.
Shah stressed that the election of the BJP in West Bengal was crucial to transform the state into a ‘Sonar Bangla’, while restoring law and order, promoting development, and ensuring effective governance.
Campaigning for the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded yesterday, with 142 constituencies scheduled to vote on April 29. The first phase witnessed a remarkable voter turnout of 93.2 percent.
The results will be announced on May 4, along with those from Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
