Kolkata, 01 April (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party while addressing an election rally at Nanoor in Birbhum district during the campaign for the 2026 Assembly elections.

Alleging that the BJP was trying to collect bank account details of poor people, Banerjee claimed, “Ahead of the Bihar elections, ₹8,000 was quietly deposited into people’s bank accounts. Here too, poor people are being asked to share their bank details. Be cautious and do not share your bank information. On the pretext of depositing money, whatever is there could also be withdrawn.”

The Trinamool Congress chief also hit back at BJP’s corruption allegations against her party, saying demands for investigations had instead been raised against BJP leaders. She claimed to possess documents in this regard and asserted that the Trinamool Congress had not engaged in any loot, but that the BJP was responsible for such actions.

Banerjee also raised concerns over deletion of names from the voter list, alleging that a large number of women voters, particularly those who changed their surnames after marriage and moved residences, had been affected.

Targeting the Union government, she accused it of withholding funds under the rural employment guarantee scheme and claimed that the name of Mahatma Gandhi had been removed from the scheme’s title. She said the state government had launched the Mahatmashree scheme in response.

Referring to the rise in cooking gas prices, she warned that the situation could become more difficult after the elections. She also claimed that while the state government was providing free ration, the BJP was attempting to take credit for the initiative.

Banerjee expressed satisfaction over a recent direction of the Supreme Court of India in a voter list-related matter. She alleged that there had been attempts to include names of outsiders through Form 6, which the court had restrained.

She also referred to the Yuva Sathi scheme, saying it was not an allowance but a form of financial assistance similar to pocket money for the youth. She assured that applicants who have not yet received the benefits would also get the assistance. She also mentioned beneficiaries of the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh