1. PM Modi and CM Mamata Banerjee to hold back-to-back campaign rallies in Cooch Behar, North Bengal.
2. Both leaders will address voters in a region where BJP has made strides since 2019.
3. This marks the first time in this election cycle for both leaders to address the same constituency.
Cooch Behar, April 04: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are set to hold consecutive Lok Sabha campaign rallies on Thursday in Cooch Behar, North Bengal, a region where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gained significant ground since the 2019 elections.
This marks the first instance in this election cycle where both leaders will address voters of the same constituency on the same day.
The constituencies of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri, all located in North Bengal, are scheduled for polls on April 19, marking the first phase of the seven-phase election in West Bengal.
The BJP managed to capture all three seats from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the 2019 elections.
Notably, two of the victorious candidates, Nisith Pramanik from Cooch Behar and John Barla from Alipurduar, currently serve as Union Ministers of State.
On Thursday, Modi is slated to address a single rally in Cooch Behar, while Banerjee will hold two rallies, as announced by their respective parties on Wednesday night.
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In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 18 out of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, marking a significant electoral feat. In North Bengal alone, the party won seven out of eight seats.
The primary opposition force in the state aims to increase its tally to at least 25 seats this year.
Despite securing only 77 seats in Bengal’s 294-member assembly during the 2021 polls, the BJP managed to clinch 30 out of 54 seats in the eight districts of North Bengal. However, the TMC reclaimed two of these seats in subsequent by-elections.
Banerjee has been actively touring North Bengal districts and engaging with voters since Sunday, particularly after severe storms struck the region.
In response to the Centre’s decision to halt funding for housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) due to alleged irregularities, Banerjee’s nephew and TMC national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, criticized Modi on Wednesday.
Abhishek demanded a detailed report on the funds allocated to Bengal under PMAY post the 2021 assembly polls, highlighting the impact of inadequate housing on storm-affected residents.
In rebuttal, Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson, Samik Bhattacharya, defended the Centre’s actions, attributing the halt in funds to taxpayer concerns and alleged corruption during the TMC’s tenure.
Bhattacharya emphasized the public’s support for Modi’s leadership, citing ongoing corruption investigations by federal agencies as evidence of the need for change in governance.
