Mamata feels the heat, literally

AS DAY TIME temperatures across West Bengal soar beyond 400C, it’s not just the people who are feeling the heat. Chief Minister and TMC supremo, who has questioned a seven- phase Lok Sabha election schedule amid the sweltering heat, on Thursday admitted that she is feeling “exhausted” from the marathon campaigning and said that it was draining her of energy.

With a white stole covering her head against the scorching Sun, Mamata addressed a TMC rally in Paschim Medinipur where she said, “The air compressor of my helicopter hasn’t been working over the last three- four days. Moreover, the helicopter heats up quickly in such an intense summer. So, you can very well imagine how suffocating it might feel to travel in it for campaigning in this heatwave. Campaigning in such heat is draining me. And, I am doing this since March 31.”

Citing the example of Tamil Nadu, which has 40 seats and where polling was held in one phase on April 19, she said, “I have never seen a Lok Sabha election being conducted over a span of three months. In Tamil Nadu, polling was completed in one day. They have 40 Lok Sabha seats while West Bengal has 42.” Lok Sabha elections in Bengal will be held in seven phases.

Banerjee has claimed that the poll schedule has been chalked out to “enable PM Narendra Modi to carry out extensive campaign using nation's resources".

In Malda on Saturday, she said: “Earlier elections used to be over by May, but this year, it has been extended till June 1 to enable Modi to visit various places... People are greatly inconvenienced by the heat but Modi is unperturbed as they ( BJP leaders) are campaigning in VVIP comfort with all facilities.”

Bengal has been reeling under severe heatwave conditions.

Express Mamata Banerjee in Paschim Medinipur, Thursday.