Campaigns for the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal assembly elections ended on Tuesday, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) making a strong push to breach the Opposition’s bastions in the southern and eastern parts of India.
Voting for the first phase of 152 seats in West Bengal will take place on April 23, along with polling in Tamil Nadu. Votes will be counted on May 4, in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.
Addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu in support of the DMK-led alliance, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge triggered a national firestorm by initially referring to Prime Minister Modi as a "terrorist who does not believe in equality."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that the TMC will return to power in the state for the fourth consecutive term, claiming that "no one wants the BJP to form government".
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government over women's safety in West Bengal, citing incidents in Sandeshkhali, RG Kar Medical College, Durgapur Medical College and South Kolkata Law College, alleging a breakdown of law and order in the state.
