The noise of campaigning for the final and eighth phase of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections quieted down on Monday. With this, the extensive election campaign in the state, ongoing for a month and a half, has ended. Voting in the final phase for 35 seats will take place on Thursday, determining the fate of 283 candidates. Mamata Banerjee went all out to score a hat-trick of power in Bengal, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and other BJP leaders worked tirelessly to make their mark in Bengal’s soil. Meanwhile, the Congress-Left alliance fought to maintain its political relevance.
This time around, TMC chief and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was seen rallying for 44 days in a wheelchair, while her nephew Abhishek Banerjee was seen striving to retain power through roadshows and public meetings. In contrast, BJP's top leaders were camped in Bengal. PM Modi held approximately 20 public gatherings, while Amit Shah held around 70 rallies. Mamata Banerjee addressed about 150 public meetings in support of TMC candidates.
COVID-19 Impact Felt in Last Phase
In the final phase, the impact of COVID-19 and related promises were predominant. On one hand, Mamata Banerjee blamed the central government for the second wave, promising free vaccination to the people of Bengal if TMC wins. She wrote to PM Modi twice regarding vaccination. Similarly, the BJP also promised free vaccinations. Thus, the COVID-19 issue saw significant attention, with both parties targeting each other.
Due to the rising speed of the COVID-19 infections in Bengal, the BJP resorted to virtual rallies. This led Prime Minister Modi to cancel all public meetings and address multiple final phase seats together via virtual rallies. Mamata Banerjee opted for press conferences across districts for a broader political message instead of rallies.
Notably, amidst increasing COVID-19 cases, the Election Commission banned large rallies and roadshows. Before the commission's decision, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had already canceled his rallies for the Bengal elections. Subsequently, Mamata reduced her rally time, choosing to campaign via press conferences instead.
Yet, BJP Leaders Continued to Rally
Following Rahul and Mamata, PM Modi also canceled all rallies, with BJP deciding on only 500-people gatherings. Modi addressed one virtual rally in the last phase while BJP state leaders like Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari, and Mithun Chakraborty continued their rallies, claiming not more than 500 attendees, contrary to TMC's allegations of EC guideline violations.
On Saturday, CM Mamata Banerjee held a press conference with all candidates in Birbhum district. Once again, she targeted the central government.
Post-campaign silence, BJP President JP Nadda addressed a press conference in Kolkata, targeting Mamata Banerjee's statements during the West Bengal Assembly elections and asserting that the people of the state had rejected her remarks, questioning her choice of language against the Prime Minister.
Source: aajtak
In Bengal's 7th phase, a 75.06% turnout was recorded, the lowest of the election phases.
Mamata questions EC regarding the 8 phases' necessity, hints at approaching the court.
