Top BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Rahul Sinha were among 148 candidates nominated by the party on Thursday for the last four rounds of the West Bengal Assembly elections. With more than a dozen TMC turncoats securing tickets, the publication of the list of candidates sparked a new round of protests from BJP workers in several districts. Some members of the party office also resigned in protest.
BJP workers vandalized party offices in Malda, Jalpaiguri, North 24-Parganas and Paschim Bardhaman districts because of the selection of candidates. Party workers also called for a change of candidate in the Assembly constituencies of Pandabeshwar, Jagaddal, Durgapur Purba, Jalpaiguri and Harishchandrapur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Congress on Thursday for his ties to left-wing parties and AIUDF for the Assam polls, saying he lacked leadership, politics and ideology. Addressing a rally in Barak Valley, Assam, he said the Central and State BJP governments, on the other hand, have been working continuously for development.
“On the one hand, there are the policies of the BJP, the leadership of the BJP and the good intentions of the BJP. On the other hand, Congress has no leadership, no politics, and no ideology. The Congress is so weak today that it can go to any extent, it can partner with anyone, ”the prime minister said at the rally in Karimganj district, his first in the ‘State after the announcement of the election dates.
In addition, two announcements in the last stage by the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu seemed to bear fruit: a decision to renounce loans up to Rs 2 lakh taken by women’s self-help groups from cooperative banks, unions; and loans taken against jewels up to six rulers from agricultural cooperative institutions by farmers.
The waivers have been welcomed by farmers in the Cauvery Delta region, hard hit by storms and the Covid lockdown that has derailed food supply chains and markets. The state government claims that 12,110 crore rupees have already been canceled, with around 16 lakh farmers benefiting from it.