Dice loaded against me, cries Mamata

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and opposition leaders in West Bengal have cried foul over the long-winding election process. Soon after the dates were announced, Banerjee asked the EC for the rationale for spreading the election in eight phases. If Assam polls could be conducted in three phases and Tamil Nadu in one, then why were Bengal polls being bifurcated into eight phases? She also alleged that the decision was taken to pander to the BJP.

“Has this been done on the suggestion PM Modi and Amit Shah? Has this been done to facilitate their campaigning? So that they can wrap up Assam and Tamil Nadu before descending on Bengal? This won't help the BJP. We will demolish them,” Mamata Banerjee asserted at a press conference in Kolkata.

She also objected to the decision to hold polls in the same district in different phases. "They have divided districts in part 1 and part 2. Since we are powerful in South 24 Pargana, it is being done in three phases. They are teaching us BA part 1 and part 2....," Banerjee said.

Challenging BJP, the Chief Minister said that the TMC will win the polls despite all odds. “We will play ‘Khela Hobe’ in all the eight phases. I am the only woman chief minister in India but even then they are of me. I am a street fighter and I will make them lose the upcoming polls,” stated the Chief Minister.