Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during a poll rally on Wednesday, said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) may declare dates for the crucial Assembly Elections in the next one week. Assembly elections to the 294- seat West Bengal Legislative assembly are slated to be held in March-April. ALSO READ | 'Comments Not Accurate Nor Responsible': India Slams Rihanna, Greta Thunberg's Tweet Over Farmers Protest
While addressing a rally at Alipurduar district in north Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said "Election dates are likely to be announced in the next seven to eight days. We don’t have much time."
During her speech, Mamata also said that there is no place for corrupt people in TMC and those who wish to leave ruling party should do so immediately. "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can buy a few corrupt leaders, but not TMC's dedicated workers," she said.
Hitting out at leaders who have recently quit her party, Chief Minister said that those who have deserted TMC will not win polls and their shops to get closed after assembly elections.
The party has recently asserted that recent switchover by several leaders and workers of TMC to BJP ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections will hardly make any difference to the ruling party as, it claimed, "garbage had been removed".
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Various TMC leaders including Suvendu Adhikari, Rajib Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal, Rathin Chakraborti, Rudranil Ghosh and other leaders and workers have quit the ruling party to join the saffron clad ahead of West Bengal Polls.
While speaking to news agency IANS, a TMC leader expressed confidence that even though the BJP was making tall claims about West Bengal, the state's people will ensure a hat-trick for their Mamata Didi in the coming Assembly elections.
Last week, five leaders from West Bengal joined the BJP in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah including three rebel Trinamool Congress MLAs.