Mamata, PM trade barbs over minority votes in Bengal rally

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, April 6

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to Bengal Muslim voters to refrain from splitting their votes is an indication that she no more enjoys their support, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at Cooch Behar on Tuesday.

Addressing an election rally in the north Bengal town, Modi also said a similar appeal to Hindus would have led the Election Commission swing into action.

Mamata, too, was in north Bengal on Tuesday, where she addressed election rallies at Kalchini in Alipurduar district and Mathabhanga and Mekliganj in Cooch Behar district. Modi flew to Howrah from Cooch Behar and addressed a second rally there before returning to New Delhi.

With Muslims constituting 30 per cent of the voters, their support is key for Mamata, who has frequently been accused of pampering the religious minority group for the sake of votes.

“You are saying you can sense that the Muslim vote bank is also not under your control any more… they have also deserted you,” Modi said. The PM said the appeal made by Mamata to the minority community was a sign that she had lost the elections.

“Didi, you criticise the Election Commission. But if we had asked the Hindus to unite and vote for the BJP, we would have got eight or 10 notices from the Election Commission. Editorials would have been written condemning us in the country and abroad,” Modi said.

In response, Mamata said, “Narendra Modi doesn’t have any political courtesy. He (Modi) is teasing me and it shows how important I have become for them. I don’t mind it. I respect the chair of the Prime Minister, but I haven’t seen a liar like Narendra Modi. He is spreading misinformation. They are bringing goons from other states to disturb the harmony and culture of Bengal,” Mamata said while addressing a rally.