"Will See Who Dares To Repeat Incident Like Sandeshkhali If...": Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government over the law and order situation in West Bengal and said that atmosphere of anarchy is prevailing in the entire state.

Addressing a public rally in Murshidabad, West Bengal, Rajnath Singh said, "There is an atmosphere of anarchy in the entire West Bengal and it is known for crime. Incidents like Sandeshkhali happen in the land of West Bengal. I assure you that this time if the BJP government is formed here, we will see who dares to repeat the incident like Sandeshkhali."

"When ED and CBI come here for investigation, they are attacked by goons. There is no law and order in the state," he added.

Earlier today, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday called Mamata Banerjee's TMC party a party of goons that lacks support from the people.

"TMC is a party of goons. TMC is not a political party...Goons and police are with them, not the people," Mr Adhikari said.

Sharing a similar sentiment, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Medinipore, Agnimitra Paul, also accused West Bengal Chief Minister of misusing the police and administration for her political gains.

Ms Paul also said that Mamata Banerjee's tactics will not work and the BJP will perform well in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections."Mamata Banerjee has only one weapon, the police and administration, with which she works, but this time it will not work. The BJP will produce very good results," she said.

Ms Paul added that the people would respond to Mamata Banerjee's treatment of the people in Bengal and her dishonesty towards women after the Sandeshkhali incident.

"The way Mamata Banerjee has treated the people of Bengal, the dishonesty she has shown towards women after Sandeshkhali, we have seen and continue to see... The youth of our society have been victimised, jobs have been stolen, and the people of Bengal will respond to this," she said.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has traditionally held a stronghold in West Bengal. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC emerged as the dominant force, securing 34 seats in the state. 

In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only 2 seats. The CPI (M) and the Congress won 2 and 4 seats, respectively. However, the political landscape saw a significant shift in the 2019 polls. The BJP won 18 seats, a stark contrast to their previous tally.

The TMC, although still in the lead, saw their seat count reduced to 22. The Congress's representation was reduced to just 2 seats, while the Left Front was unable to secure any seats.

The first phase of voting recently concluded in the Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri parliamentary constituencies. The BJP won in all these constituencies in the last election in 2019. A high voter turnout was recorded in all three constituencies, with 75.54 per cent in Alipurduar, 77.73 per cent in Coochbehar, and 79.33 per cent in Jalpaiguri.

Voting for the remaining constituencies of West Bengal will be held on April 26, May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)