As Centre Pushes For One Nation One Election, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari Calls For Separate Polls In Bengal

Adhikari accused TMC-backed miscreants of attacking BJP workers and supporters in Alipurdur on Thursday while they were on their way to attend a rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari on Friday urged the Election Commission not to hold the upcoming state Assembly elections simultaneously with those in other states.

Source : PTI

Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari on Friday urged the Election Commission not to hold the upcoming state Assembly elections simultaneously with those in other states, alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has created a "climate of terror". This comes amid central government's push for one nation, one election.

In his appeal to the Election Commission, Adhikari argued that holding simultaneous elections could compromise the integrity of the electoral process in Bengal, given the alleged law and order issues and political violence attributed to the ruling party.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Adhikari accused TMC-backed miscreants of attacking BJP workers and supporters in Alipurdur on Thursday while they were on their way to attend a rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He then went on to highlight that such incidents show the deteriorating security situation and the need for independent scheduling of elections in the state, stressing that the prevailing conditions in Bengal were not conducive to fair elections.

Trinamool-backed goons vandalised 34 vehicles and injured 22 BJP workers to prevent them from reaching the PM's rally, he claimed, as reported by news agency PTI.

"The language used by Trinamool leaders against the PM is threatening and undemocratic. Under such circumstances, free and fair elections are not possible in West Bengal," Adhikari claimed, urging the EC to avoid clubbing the state's polls with those in Assam, Bihar or Kerala.

The senior BJP leader also slammed the Bengal government over rising electricity tariffs. He spoke about a recent incident in Siliguri where a businessman allegedly confronted CM Mamata Banerjee about soaring power bills, which was dismissed without proper response.

"Domestic power rates have gone up manifold since 2011. Commercial users now pay around Rs 12 per unit and industrial users shell out as high as Rs 16 per unit," he claimed.

Adhikari also came down heavily on the forced rollout of smart electricity meters in several urban areas, including Barasat, Rajarhat, Dum Dum, and Barrackpore. The BJP leader also alleged that certain political leaders are receiving commissions from private agencies 

West Bengal is scheduled to go to the polls in 2026.

Input By : Subrata Mukherjee