BJP staged Sandeshkhali incident, now exposed: CM Mamata Banerjee

NADIA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the BJP of staging a "drama" around the Sandeshkhali incident, adding that the BJP has now been exposed.

During a rally in Nadia, the Chief Minister said, "They (BJP) had prepared a good drama around Sandeshkhali. The BJP has been exposed. I had been saying for many days that this is a conspiracy and a drama prepared by the BJP."

On Saturday, a video of a sting operation surfaced that has stirred up controversy in Sandeshkhali which was broadcast by a local television channel. In the alleged video, a person, purportedly a BJP Mandal (booth) president named Gangadhar Koyal is heard saying that Sandeshkhali women, who weren't sexually assaulted, were projected as 'rape' victims at the behest of the LoP.

Claiming that Suvendu 'helped' him get this done, the person in the video said that the former told him that the TMC's strongmen in the area wouldn't be arrested unless he is falsely implicated in a "rape case".

However, the news channel that broke the alleged sting operation did not check the veracity of the clip.

Mamata also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over molestation allegations against Governor CV Ananda Bose, saying, "The representative of the Centre, the honourable governor, what is he doing with the employees of Raj Bhavan? PM, who gives big messages about Sandeshkhali, did not give any message (on the molestation allegation against Governor Bose)."

An employee at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Thursday alleged that she was sexually harassed by Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. The woman approached the Hare Street police in Kolkata and lodged a complaint against the Bengal Governor.

Following allegations, West Bengal Police have formed a separate team to probe molestation allegations against Governor CV Ananda Bose, made by a woman employee at Raj Bhavan.

Although the Trinamool Congress (TMC) remains a member of the INDIA bloc, it has decided not to enter into a seat-sharing alliance with its partners in the Opposition alliance, which includes Congress and the Left. The main competition in most constituencies of the state is between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for just 2. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4.

In the 2019 general elections, the TMC dropped to 22 seats, while the BJP saw the lotus bloom in 18 seats.

The Congress brought up the rear, winning just 2 seats. West Bengal, which sends 42 MPs, to Parliament, is voting in all seven phases. Polling for six Lok Sabha seats in Bengal was held across the first two phases on April 19 and 26.

Polling for the remaining parliamentary seats will be held on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.