Assembly Elections 2021 LIVE Updates: The BJP president also claimed, 'Congress is only following DMK. BJP, on the other hand, always prioritizes regional issues'
Assembly Elections 2021 Latest Updates: "In Tamil Nadu, under the leadership of AIADMK, we are forming the government. The signals in the two phases of West Bengal clearly have shown that BJP is heading towards victory," said BJP president JP Nadda in Chennai.
"In Assam, we are retaining the government of NDA along with UPPL and AGP. In Puducherry also we are making a clear way of formation of the government. In Kerala, we will be a formidable force," he added.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday asserted that "goons sheltered by the Trinamool Congress" will be tracked and sent behind bars within a month of the BJP forming government in West Bengal. He said the "murdered BJP karyakartas (workers)" including Sudarshan Pramanik from Hooghly district, "will get justice" once the saffron party comes to power in the state.
"TMC goons, listen carefully. After the counting of votes, we will teach you a lesson. Similar things happened in Uttar Pradesh four years back after we formed the government there. We imprisoned the tormentors of people. In Bengal, we will punish those who are a part of the syndicate raj and demand cut money (commission)," Adityanath said.
Coming down heavily on Election Commission's relaxation on campaign ban of BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said there is a "big question" on the neutrality of the poll panel and it should clear the air on the issue.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cut shorts his poll campaign in Assam and is returning to Delhi in view of Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday. "He is returning after addressing one out of three rallies he was supposed to address," he added.
"Shah to reach Delhi by today late afternoon, to take stock of the situation in Chhattisgarh with top officials," ANI reported.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wondered whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "god or a superhuman" to make claims of a BJP triumph in the Assembly elections, six phases of which still remain.
The Election Commission has rejected West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations of the entry of outsiders and of 'booth capturing' at a polling station at Nandigram's Boyal on 1 April during the second phase of the Assembly elections as factually incorrect and devoid of substance, said reports.
Campaigning for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, and the third phase of voting in West Bengal and Assam ends today.
Home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah will address public meetings in Assam today while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Kerala.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami asked on Saturday why DMK leaders were making a big issue out of a raid at the house of party chief MK Stalin's daughter, saying one need not fear if there is nothing to hide.
A slew of AIADMK functionaries, including some ministers, have also been raided by Income Tax officials "but we are not saying anything", he said.
Incidentally, the AIADMK moved the EC on Saturday against the searches, saying they were "unwanted" and allegedly carried out at the behest of the Congress and the DMK.
"But the DMK is making such a big issue out of IT officials holding searches at the house of Stalin's daughter. If one has nothing to hide, why are you afraid?" Palaniswami asked while addressing an election rally in Salem.
The DMK lashed out at the BJP-led Centre on Friday over the searches by Income Tax officials at the residence of Stalin's daughter Senthamarai in Chennai and alleged that there was a "political objective" behind the action.
The raids on Senthamarai and others were aimed to check "political cash distribution" in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, sources in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had told news agency PTI.
Palaniswami further said I-T officials carry out checks based on information and referred to such searches on the premises of AIADMK functionaries, including Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan.
He asked if Senthamarai belongs to a royal household and whether searches cannot be conducted at her place. In a democratic country, searches can be carried out anywhere, the chief minister added.
