Bengal polls: Mamata holds roadshow, Dilip Ghosh barred from campaigning for 24 hours
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday held her second roadshow from Beliaghata to Bowbazar, a 4.5km-stretch under the scorching heat in Kolkata.
She was accompanied by Samajwadi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachhan. Banerjee held her first roadshow on March 14.
With hundreds of supporters following her, the roadshow on Thursday travelled along arterial roads of east and central Kolkata.
"I am accompanying her (Mamata) because of the slew of development works that were carried out during the TMC’s regime in Bengal. The TMC will win this election and the BJP will be whitewashed," said Jaya Bachchan.
BJP state president barred from campaigning
The Election Commission of India on Thursday barred BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh from campaigning for 24 hours starting from 8 pm on Thursday for his provocative statement in connection with the Cooch Behar firing in which four persons were gunned by central forces.
Shortly after the incident of firing on April 10, Ghosh, while addressing a rally in Baranagar, North 24 Parganas, said, "If someone crosses his limits, then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places."
The Trinamool Congress moved the poll panel alleging the provocative statement was a gross violation of the model code of conduct. Two days ago, the Commission served a notice on Ghosh asking him to clarify his statement.
On Thursday, the Commission made it clear that it was not satisfied with Ghosh’s reply. 'The Commission has carefully considered the reply of Shri Dilip Ghosh and is of the considered view that he has violated clauses (1) & (4) of Part 1 of ‘General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct for the guidance of political parties and candidates and made highly provocative and inciteful remarks which could adversely impact law & order thereby adversely affecting the election process," the Commission says in its order.