‘Bengal mei iss baar BJP sarkar’, says PM Modi

With just a week left for the first phase of Assembly elections to start, campaigning in four states and one Union Territory is at its peak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Kharagpur, West Bengal, where he is scheduled to address a campaign rally shortly. Later in the day, he will speak at a public meeting in Chabua, Assam.

PM Modi addresses Public Rally

Kerala’s ruling LDF Friday unveiled its election manifesto with a guarantee of pension for homemakers, along with a promise of 40 lakh job opportunities, 15,000 start-up units, special cover for PSUs, and a drive to channelise private investment worth Rs 10,000 crore. The 900-page manifesto also assures raising the social security pension in various categories from the existing Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,500, in phases, and to increase farmers’ income by 50%.

Meanwhile, the delegation of Trinamool Congress that met Election Commission (EC) officials objected to recent decisions taken by the body and calling their approach “partisan and biased”. The party took umbrage over media reports of an EC decision that state police personnel would not be allowed within 100 metres of polling stations. “It has been reported in the media that the EC has decided to not permit the presence of state police within 100 metres of polling stations and only deploy Central Forces in such an arena. If true, this decision is unprecedented and casts severe aspersions on the reputation of the police administration in the state of West Bengal,” the letter states.

Elections

Sources in the EC told The Indian Express that it has not prohibited the state police’s presence but rather, the instruction is meant for the civic police, who are civic volunteers who are deployed in aid of the state police. They do not have legal police powers but aid in maintenance of order and traffic control usually.

The first phase of polls to West Bengal and Assam will be held on March 27; Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will vote subsequently, on April 6.

ALSO READ: UP has emerged as 'growth engine of country' in past 4 years: CM Adityanath

Stay tuned with newstrack to get fastest updates. Click @englishnewstrack to follow us on Facebook and @newstrackmedia to follow on Twitter.