Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to hold consecutive Lok Sabha campaign rallies on Thursday in Cooch Behar, North Bengal. This will be the first time in this election season that both leaders address voters of a constituency on the same day.
Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri seats, named after their respective districts, are slated for polls on April 19, marking the first phase of elections in Bengal. In 2019, the BJP secured all three seats from the ruling TMC.
Modi will address one rally in Cooch Behar, while Banerjee will address two, as announced by their respective parties. The BJP aims to maintain its electoral dominance in North Bengal, where it secured seven out of eight seats in 2019.
Despite the BJP’s relatively lower performance in the 2021 assembly polls, particularly in Bengal, it managed to secure a significant number of seats in North Bengal. Banerjee’s recent tour of the region comes amidst political confrontations, with her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee targeting Modi over the Centre’s decision to halt funds for housing projects under PMAY.
Bhattacharya, Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson, defended the Centre’s decision, citing corruption allegations during the TMC’s regime and expressing support for Modi’s leadership.
