Bengal Phase 7 campaign over: PM ends it with virtual address

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday ended his campaign for the eight-phase Bengal assembly polls with a virtual address that spoke about the BJP agenda and promises to the state, with no mention of either chief minister Mamata Banerjee or her party, the TMC.

Modi was supposed to address four rallies in the state, including one in the heart of Kolkata, but cancelled them to address high-level meetings on Covid-19 in Delhi. Later, the Election Commission (EC) imposed a ban on roadshows and big rallies and limited the number of people attending political meetings to 500 in view of the sharp spike in coronavirus infections.

In all, Modi addressed more than two dozen rallies rallies in the state .

Bengal reported 12,876 infections and 59 deaths on Friday.

Urging people to cast votes in large numbers in the last two phases to be held on April 26 and 29, the PM, in his 32-minute long speech, said, “After four decades, people of Bengal are striving to establish a government of their choice.”

The PM focused on the BJP’s electoral promises made to the poor, youth, farmers, middleclass and women. In sharp contrast to the attacks he earlier made on TMC, Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Modi made only a couple of general remarks in reference to governance and law and order situation in the state.

“Infiltration, extortion et al are enemies of development…. We will give a government which will be free of corruption. Bengal yearns for peace, security and development,” he said.

Modi announced after his meeting with the chief ministers that the Centre would provide free ration in May and June.

TMC leaders said Modi was following Banerjee’s policies as she was the first to make these announcements. “Banerjee announced last year that the Bengal government would continue to give free ration to people till June...,” said Bengal’s deputy parliamentary affairs minister, Tapas Roy.