1. 40 Trinamool Legislators In Touch With Me: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday claimed that 40 Trinamool Congress MLAs were in touch with him and insinuated they were looking to switch to the BJP after it wins the election, prompting Opposition accusations of “horse-trading”.
If such a declaration by a serving prime minister in the middle of elections is uncommon, that it was Modi who sprang the claim — or alleged statement of intent — makes it even more startling.
Modi has been portraying himself as the chowkidar of all things worth safeguarding. As a prime minister who wears the anti-corruption shield on his sleeve, a foregone conclusion would have been that he would have initiated immediate and exemplary action should even one MLA, let alone 40 of them, sounded him out on defection.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Babul Supriyo's Car Hit After Protest
Stones were hurled at BJP candidate Babul Supriyo’s car after he stepped out of an Asansol booth on Monday alleging rigging by Trinamul supporters.
Barring this incident and altercations Supriyo had with Trinamool workers elsewhere over similar allegations, voting in Asansol passed off without major problems on Monday despite taut nerves in the run-up to the polls.
“Trinamool workers had driven our polling agent out of the booth after beating him up. When I went in, they tried to prevent me,” the singer-turned-leader said at the booth in the Barabani area after arguments with the presiding officer.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Babul Feels Poll Heat, Moon Moon Upbeat After A ‘Very Late Bed-Tea’
Asansol’s two main contenders, from Trinamool and BJP, presented a picture in contrast on polling day on Monday, when one felt both atmospheric and political heat and the other dished out advice to beat the heat, with “bed-tea” on the side.
Polling day began for both BJP’s Babul Supriyo and Trinamool’s Moon Moon Sen the night before, underlining the high stakes involved for both. While Moon Moon met party leaders at her hotel in Asansol’s Kali Pahari, Babul pored over the industrial town’s map identifying vulnerable spots to ring-fence his party’s voters. Babul is the incumbent MP; Moon Moon has been shifted to Asansol from Bankura, where she had defeated nine-time CPM MP Basudeb Acharia.
(Source: The Times Of India)
4. Shots, Slumber & Stones Mar 4th Phase Polling In Bengal
A CRPF jawan fired a round in the air inside a polling booth during a commotion between central troopers and voters over the seizure of cellphones from voters at Dubrajpur on Monday morning.
A central trooper fired in the air outside another booth during a scuffle between two groups of voters in Parui on Monday.
Both the incidents occurred under the Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency.
The CRPF trooper fired in the air inside booth 284 at Kandighi Primary School. Sources said four CRPF personnel had been deployed at the booth.
(Source: The Telegraph)
5. Mamata Fumes Over CRPF ‘Firing’ Inside Birbhum Poll Booth
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out following reports that central forces had opened fire in a polling booth in Birbhum’s Dubrajpur. “After entering a booth, CRPF had opened fire. How dare they? Law and order is a state subject,” Banerjee thundered at a public meeting in Bagdah while canvassing support for Trinamool’s Bongaon Lok Sabha candidate Mamata Thakur.
“The CRPF can be deputed in a booth. But they should stand guard outside. Lathi guli chalano oder kaaj noy (It is not their job to lathicharge or open fire). Egulo rajyer hathe (This is in the state government’s hands). This is a state subject and not a central subject. Ekhane parade korte holeo oder state police ke niye korte hoy (Here they need to have state police with them even for parades),” Banerjee said.
(Source: The Times Of India)
6. Adhir Of Old Hits The Streets In Toughest Test
He has been maintaining a strict regimen for some time now, but none would have believed till Monday that may get to see Congress heavyweight Adhir Chowdhury jog down the street in front of the UCT College (BT College) in Behrampore, cellphone to the ear, urging party workers to rush there. The mercury had then crossed the 41 degrees Celsius mark and a bystander quipped: ” Dada dekhiye dilo (Dada has shown that the tiger is alive and kicking).”
“Kothay achhish tora? Choley aay. Aami choley eshechhi. (Where are you all? Get here fast. I am already here),” Chowdhury told a party worker over the phone.
(Source: The Times Of India)
7. Expect Series Of Storms Over Next Three Days: Met
Cyclone Fani, now moving towards the Andhra-Odisha coast, could end the scorching spell in the city and its surrounding areas on 1 May. Set to develop into a very severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday, Fani could infuse moisture into Gangetic Bengal and trigger thunderstorms across several south Bengal districts, including Kolkata, till 3 May. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) is yet to specify the areas that could be lashed by storms.
“Fani will bring in moisture, which, coupled with intense heating that the region has received for a week, will result in thunderstorms for three days from 1 May. Wind could blow at a speed of 40km/hr to 60km/ hr. On 3 May, some areas of East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas could receive heavy rain,” said deputy director-general of meteorology AK Sen.
(Source: The Times Of India)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)