KOLKATA — Electioneering has intensified in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu ahead of the end of campaigning for Assembly elections scheduled for April 23, as top political leaders make a final push to sway voters.
With the Election Commission of India mandating the end of campaigning at 6 p.m., parties are leaving no stone unturned in the final hours, conducting rallies, roadshows, and public meetings across districts.
In both states, high-voltage campaigns have marked the last leg of electioneering. Political parties are making aggressive efforts to connect with voters and consolidate support bases before the silence period begins.
In West Bengal, senior leaders from the BJP, including Chief Ministers of party-ruled states, have been campaigning extensively. On the other hand, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has been travelling across the state, addressing multiple rallies. Other Trinamool leaders are also actively campaigning in support of party candidates.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, have been holding public meetings at various locations across West Bengal.
Addressing a public rally in Kulti, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised the state government. “Mamata Didi does not care about the youth of Bengal. I am saying today in Kulti that your dream will not be fulfilled. No outsider will ever become Chief Minister of Bengal. I am telling you clearly that only a person born in Bengal, a Bengali-speaking person, will become the Chief Minister of Bengal,” he said.
In Bishnupur, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a roadshow from the National Club Ground in support of BJP candidate Sukla Chatterjee. BJP MP Hema Malini addressed a public rally in Maynaguri while campaigning for party candidate Dalim Roy in Jalpaiguri.
In Tamluk, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari urged voters to give the BJP a chance to govern for five years after decades of supporting other parties. Meanwhile, in Asansol, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta campaigned for BJP candidate Agnimitra Pal and held roadshows in various parts of the Asansol South Assembly constituency.
The first phase of elections will be held in West Bengal on April 23, while the second phase is slated for April 29.
A similar surge in campaign activity was witnessed in Tamil Nadu.
In Coimbatore, DMK candidate Kavitha Kalyana Sundaram conducted an election campaign in the Mettupalayam Assembly constituency. In Tiruchirappalli, AIADMK candidate Rajasekaran campaigned in the Tiruchirappalli East constituency, where he is contesting against TVK chief Vijay.
In Thiruvarur, TVK candidate Pandian, along with over 500 supporters, carried out a massive rally across the town, intensifying last-day canvassing efforts. In Chennai, Union Minister Piyush Goyal campaigned for the BJP and its alliance partners, expressing confidence in the NDA’s prospects in the state.
Tamil Nadu will vote for its 234-member Assembly on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. As campaigning draws to a close, a clearer picture is emerging of how major political parties have approached the elections and the effectiveness of their strategies.
During the campaign, BJP leaders criticised the DMK government, alleging poor governance and claiming that dynastic politics had permeated down to the village panchayat level. AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami accused the DMK government of deteriorating law and order and a rise in crimes against women, asserting that the people have rejected the ruling party.
Meanwhile, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal praised the DMK government, stating that Tamil Nadu has made significant progress under its leadership. He also criticised the AIADMK for aligning with the BJP, drawing comparisons with the political situation of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The Congress party, on its part, accused the Income Tax Department of obstructing its state unit President Selva Perunthagai from performing his political duties. It termed the searches as a blatant misuse of central agencies by the BJP. -I ANS
