West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, April 25, launched a fierce broadside against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at an election rally in Uttarpara, Hooghly district, alleging that the party is conspiring with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to deliberately slow down the voting process in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency. The explosive accusations come just days before the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections on April 29.

Mamata's Core Allegations Against BJP and Amit Shah

Chief Minister Banerjee directly accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of holding a meeting with CRPF personnel and instructing them to decelerate the voting process to prevent citizens from casting their ballots. She claimed that Shah had previously deployed the same forces in Nandigram to allegedly manipulate votes during the first phase of polling on April 23.

Banerjee also alleged that the BJP transported outsiders into the Bhabanipur constituency in buses on Friday, April 24, in what she described as a deliberate attempt to influence the electoral outcome in one of Bengal's most politically significant seats.

"Today again, Mota bhai held a meeting with the CRPF personnel, who was sent to loot votes in Nandigram. He said in the meeting — slow down the voting process so that people cannot vote. He has been given responsibility in Bhabanipur as well. But I do not care. You cannot put me in a spot," Banerjee declared at the rally.

The Stark Helicopter Disparity: BJP's Resource Dominance

Banerjee highlighted a glaring resource imbalance, stating that approximately 50 BJP helicopters are currently crisscrossing West Bengal's skies ahead of the April 29 phase, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is struggling to secure even three helicopters. This disparity, she argued, reflects the BJP's overwhelming deployment of central government machinery and financial muscle.

"They have brought 50 helicopters, 19 Chief Ministers, all the Ministers of the Central government, central forces, armoured vehicles, ED, CBI, everything," she said, painting a picture of what she termed an uneven electoral battlefield. This resource asymmetry is not merely optics — it signals how the BJP is treating West Bengal 2021 as a prestige battle with national implications for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political legacy.

Annapurna Bhandar Forms 'Lying Scattered' — People Reject BJP: Mamata

Banerjee also took a sharp dig at the BJP's Annapurna Bhandar scheme, alleging that forms distributed for the welfare initiative are now "lying scattered" across Bankura and the Jangalmahal region following the April 23 first phase of polling. She interpreted this as a public rejection of the BJP's pre-election promises by voters in these areas.

This claim carries electoral weight. The Jangalmahal region, which includes districts like Purulia, Bankura, and Jhargram, was a key BJP stronghold in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. If voter sentiment has indeed shifted, it could signal a significant reversal for the saffron party in tribal and semi-urban belts.

Mamata Calls for Legal Action Against Amit Shah

Chief Minister Banerjee escalated her rhetoric by urging lawyers to file a legal case against Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly threatening to "hang people upside down" after the Bengal elections. She argued that such statements amount to incitement to violence and that no public official — regardless of position — is above the law.

"We respect the chair. But what are you saying — that they will be hung and they will be straightened? You are talking about violence! The law is same for everyone," Banerjee said, calling on the legal community to hold Shah accountable. This move is also a political masterstroke — by framing the issue as a rule-of-law matter, TMC attempts to shift the narrative from governance to constitutional propriety.

Bihar Warning and the Broader Political Context

Banerjee also invoked the example of Bihar, claiming that residents of the state are warning West Bengal voters not to repeat their mistake of electing the BJP. She alleged that people in Bihar are being forced to return government benefits and that properties are being demolished by bulldozers — a reference to demolition drives that have drawn controversy across BJP-governed states.

This comes amid a broader national debate about the use of state machinery — from ED and CBI raids to bulldozer demolitions — as political tools. Critics across opposition parties have consistently argued that central investigative agencies are being weaponised against political opponents, a charge the BJP firmly denies.

With Phase 2 voting on April 29 covering several high-stakes constituencies, the political temperature in West Bengal is expected to intensify further. The Election Commission of India's response — or lack thereof — to these allegations will be closely watched by both parties and observers nationwide.