Giriraj Singh claims 'CM Mamata following Kim Jong-un' as Soumendu Adhikari's car attacked

Reacting to the attack on Soumendu Adhikari's car on the very first day of polling in West Bengal, Union Minister Giriraj Singh remarked that CM Mamata Banerjee is following the footsteps of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un. Singh, who heads the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, added that Mamata Banerjee cannot see her opponents 'alive' and has now turned into a 'face of terror'. The BJP leader's comments come amidst the increase in political violence in Bengal in the run-up to the Assembly Elections which began today. 

Over the past few months, several incidents of political violence including frequent attacks on BJP leaders' convoys and party offices have been claimed by the saffron party, which has set its eyes on defeating the TMC in the Assembly Polls. The BJP has also repeatedly attacked the ruling TMC administration over failure to maintain the law & order situation in the state, making it a poll issue. Exuding confidence in BJP's victory, Giriraj Singh asserted that Mamata Banerjee will leave her office on May 2. 

Soumendu Adhikari's car vandalized 

With the first phase of West Bengal Assembly polls getting underway on Saturday morning, drama unfolded on the very first day of the elections as former TMC leader Soumendu Adhikari's convoy was allegedly attacked. The recently joinee BJP leader's convoy was allegedly attacked and vandalized in Contai. While Adhikari was not present in his vehicle, his driver was allegedly beaten up by goons, claimed Soumendu's brother Dibyendu Adhikari. 

Soumendu Adhikari has accused the TMC block president Ram Govind Das of having a hand in the alleged attack. Claiming that the TMC block president and his wife have been rigging the polls at three booths, Adhikari claimed that his arrival at Contai had created a 'problem' which is why they attacked the BJP leader's convoy. 

West Bengal goes to polls

The first phase, off the total eight, of West Bengal elections, began early on Saturday morning. In the first phase, the election is scheduled in 30 assembly constituencies of Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Purba Medinipur (Part 1) and Paschim Medinipur (Part 1). The voter turnout till 3 PM as per the EC stands at 70.17%. The BJP delegation led by Kailash Vijayavargiya complained to the Election Commission (EC) after a leaked audiotape allegedly featuring Mamata Banerjee came to light as the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections was underway. Speaking to the press after their meeting with the EC, Kailash Vijayvargiya informed that a list of criminals from Nandigram had been provided to the EC to ensure free and fair polls were conducted. 

On the other hand, a 10 member Trinamool Congress Parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien met the Election Commission in Kolkata at noon on Saturday to raise some ‘serious concerns’ regarding the ongoing phase one of the assembly elections in West Bengal. Holding a press conference after the meeting, the delegation said that it has requested the election panel to appoint polling agents as per the location and not by the decision of any party.