After Tejashwi, Akhilesh says, 'will campaign for Mamata Banerjee' ahead of Assembly polls

The Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday announced that his party will support Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections 2021. 

The former Uttar Pradesh CM said, "In Bengal, Samajwadi Party will support Mamata Banerjee. Both the SP national president Kiranmoy Nanda ji and the rest of us have decided that Krinmoy Ji will be constantly campaigning."

On January 17, Yadav had said that BJP wants to win by spreading hatred hence he will support West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to defeat BJP. "We will support Mamata Banerjee in the West Bengal Assembly elections to defeat BJP who wants to win by spreading hatred. In 2017 as well, they won in Uttar Pradesh by propagating hatred," Akhilesh Yadav had said.

On Tuesday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav had also said their priority and duty is not to let any communal and fascist force come to power in poll-bound West Bengal. Ahead of the Bengal elections, Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD had solidified its alliance with Trinamool Congress (TMC). "It is our priority and duty to not let any communal and fascist force come into power (in West Bengal). We have decided to strengthen Mamata ji's hands and give our unconditional support to her. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called us and we will be there, wherever she needs us," Tejashwi Yadav had said. 

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West Bengal elections 2021

The West Bengal Assembly with 294 seats will also go to the polls from May 2, 2021. CM Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress holds 222 seats at present. However, BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats out of 42 and establishing itself as the major opposition force in the state. The BJP is using its booth-level strategy and has regularly dispatched its top leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda in the state for winning the upcoming elections, with the Prime Minister also addressing mega-rallies there in recent weeks. The party has also been inducting a number of major TMC leaders on a regular basis and plans to hold at least 1500 rallies and assorted road-shows in total. 

Elections to the 294 seats in West Bengal will be held in 8 phases across 1,01,916 polling stations, announced the EC. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. 

• 1st phase- 30 constituencies. Date of polling- March 27
• 2nd phase- 30 constituencies. Date of polling- April 1
• 3rd phase- 31 constituencies. Date of polling- April 6
• 4th phase- 44 constituencies. Date of polling- April 10
• 5th phase- 45 constituencies. Date of polling- April 17
• 6th phase- 43 constituencies. Date of polling- April 22
• 7th phase- 36 constituencies. Date of polling- April 26
• 8th phase- 35 constituencies. Date of polling- April 29. 

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