Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accuses TMC govt of 'smuggling coal, cows & women' into Bengal

On Tuesday, Congress West Bengal chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary laid a shocking accusation against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government alleging involvement in the trafficking incidents in the state. While speaking to ANI in Murshidabad, Chowdhury claimed that along with coal and cow smuggling the ruling party of Bengal is also trafficking women into the state.

Congress West Bengal chief stated that due to last year's Cyclonic Amphan, lakhs of people were affected but the state government didn't provide any help to them, because of which people were forced to smuggle girls. In 2020, extremely severe cyclone 'Amphan' ravaged Kolkata and several parts of West Bengal as it left behind a trail of destruction by uprooting trees, destroying thousands of homes and swamping low-lying areas of the state.

'Doing Nautanki For Sympathy': Chowdhary

Congress MP Chowdhary has accused Bengal CM of resorting to 'Siyasi Pakhand'(hypocrisy) and theatrics to gain public sympathy over her Nandigram injury ahead of assembly polls in the state. He dismissed the alleged attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling it a 'political stunt' asking her to tender her resignation over the incident. Refusing to believe that there was a lack of security around the TMC Supremo, Adhir Ranjan said that Mamata had 'already accepted her defeat' in bastion Nandigram and was doing 'nautanki to seek sympathy.'

"This is 'siyasi pakhand' to gain sympathy. Before polls, she (Mamata Banerjee) planned this 'nautanki' after sensing difficulties in Nandigram. Not just CM, she is Police Mantri' too. Can you believe that there was no Police with Police Mantri?", he said.

West Bengal Elections

In the upcoming Bengal elections, Mamata Banerjee is seeking her third consecutive term whereas BJP has set a target of winning 200 seats in the 294-member state Assembly. Congress and the Left have stitched an alliance for the polls. On February 26, the Election Commission of India announced the dates of the Assembly election for the West Bengal Assembly election and it shall be conducted in eight phases. The counting of votes for all the polls will take place on May 2.

West Bengal (8-phase election)

• 294 seats (68-SC, 16-ST)
• 1,01,916 polling stations
• Assembly term ending on June 1
• 1st phase- 30 constituencies. Date of polling- March 27
• 2nd phase- 30 constituencies. Date of polling- April 1
• 3rd phase- 31 constituencies. Date of polling- April 6
• 4th phase- 44 constituencies. Date of polling- April 10
• 5th phase- 45 constituencies. Date of polling- April 17
• 6th phase- 43 constituencies. Date of polling- April 22
• 7th phase- 36 constituencies. Date of polling- April 26

(With ANI Inputs)