Lok Sabha Elections: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold back-to-back rallies in West Bengal's Cooch Behar constituency today, April 4, kicking off a fiery poll campaign. CM Banerjee is scheduled to speak at a rally in Cooch Behar around noon, while the Prime Minister will address a mega rally at Rasleela Grounds around 3 PM, despite the fact that the venues are 30 kilometres apart.
The Cooch Behar Lok Sabha constituency, which was recently marred by clashes between supporters of sitting BJP MP and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik and TMC leader and Minister Udayan Guha, has now become a battleground for prestige, with both parties going to any length to win. Read the full report here.
Pramanik, who has been renominated for Lok Sabha, will face Jagadish Barma Basunia, the TMC candidate representing the Rajbanshi community and the sitting MLA of Sitai, as his primary opponent this time.
"The people of Cooch Behar are firmly behind the BJP, which will be reflected in the poll results on June 4. The development initiatives undertaken by the BJP MP and the Narendra Modi government at the Centre will ensure the saffron party's second consecutive term victory," BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Dinhata, home to both Pramanik and Guha, has long been a hotspot of political violence, with both leaders fighting for dominance on their home turf.
"People in Cooch Behar are wary of the BJP and its elected representatives. This sentiment will be reflected in the polls, and we are confident of winning the seat by a large margin," said Guha, who also serves as North Bengal's Development Minister, as reported by PTI.
On March 19, clashes at Dinhata Bazar involving supporters of both sides reportedly drew both leaders into the altercation, prompting police intervention and Governor CV Ananda Bose to visit the scene of violence.
TMC On PM Modi's Cooch Behar Rally Today
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee expects the Prime Minister to present a white paper detailing the funds allocated to West Bengal under the Awas Yojna and MGNREGA since 2021 during the rally.
"I expect him to furnish details or a white paper regarding the funds disbursed to Bengal under Awas Yojna and MGNREGA from 2021, following their defeat in the assembly polls here," he told reporters.
PM Modi In Bengal
The April 4 rally in Cooch Behar will be Modi's first rally in the state since the Election Commission announced the poll schedule on March 16.
Prior to the EC's announcement, the PM spoke at four rallies in West Bengal: the first in Arambagh, Hooghly district, the second in Krishnanagar, Nadia district, the third in Barasat, North 24 Parganas, and the fourth in Siliguri, Darjeeling district, from March 1 to 9.
Political Battleground Of Cooch Behar
The Cooch Behar constituency was once a stronghold of Left Front partner Forward Bloc, which held the seat for 32 years straight from 1977 to 2009, but it is now a BJP stronghold, with the party winning five of the seven assembly segments despite the TMC's significant victory in the 2021 state elections.
In contrast, the TMC claims that the people of Cooch Behar seek relief from the BJP's "Goondaraj" (rule of hooligans).
The TMC previously won the seat in 2014 and 2016 in by-elections following the death of incumbent MP Renuka Sinha.
The first phase of voting for the seat will take place on April 19.