Rallies intensify in Tamil Nadu, Bengal as polling nears

In line with Election Commission guidelines, campaigning was to conclude on April 21, two days ahead of the polling dates in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 (234 constituencies). West Bengal will vote in two phases: 152 constituencies on April 23 and 142 on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4, along with Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, which went to the polls earlier this month.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, addressing a roadshow in Birbhum, urged voters to usher in a new government after what he described as 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule.

In a Birbhum rally, Mamata Banerjee accused Prime Minister Modi of staging a scripted drama at a campaign stop in Jhargram, questioning how cameras and microphones could be inside a shop if the incident was spontaneous and suggesting the muri snack was pre-prepared.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai asserted that voters are leaning toward change, citing concerns about law and order and urban infrastructure as part of the argument for a decisive government.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that AIADMK leadership has surrendered to the BJP due to corruption and claimed that the RSS intends to rule Tamil Nadu “by proxy,” drawing a controversial comparison involving the Indian Prime Minister and external figures in governance.

Campaign rallies in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal saw senior leaders address voters on Monday, with Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Rajnath Singh among those speaking as campaigning neared its end and parties sought an edge ahead of polling.