Modi refers to Mamata’s 2021 Nandigram loss, says would be repeated across Bengal

PRime government government minister Narendra Modi on th referred to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s red ink in Nandigram in the 2021 due west Bengal assembly elections and said the same would be repeated in Bhabanipur, her constituency in Kolkata, and the rest of the state on the cusp of change after 15 years of Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule.“Nandigram in East Midnapore showed the path for change five years ago. Now, the entire West Bengal has started walking in that direction. The feat, which Nandigram achieved five years ago, will be repeated in Bhabanipur and the entire Bengal this year,” Modi said at a rally at Haldia in East Midnapore ahead of the April 23-29 polls.Banerjee lost to her former protégé, Suvendu Adhikari, in Nandigram in 2021, months after he defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP has fielded Adhikari against Banerjee in Bhabanipur, a TMC stronghold. Banerjee has represented Bhabanipur since 2011.Banerjee maintained the TMC would win the elections even as she attacked the BJP over the deletion of nine million voters from the electoral roll as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). She accused the BJP of targeting Bengal and added that they would first win Bengal and then target Delhi. “Until the BJP is removed, the country will be in danger. We need to protect our country and its people. I urge people not to cast a single vote for any party except the TMC. Think of those people who have been wrongly deleted and those who have died due to SIR,” she said at a rally at Minakhan in North 24 Parganas.Both Modi and Banerjee spoke about fish on Thursday, as Bengali culture, identity, and pride have emerged as major election issues. “Fisheries and seafood have huge potential in West Bengal. Even though there is a huge demand for fish, West Bengal is yet to become self-reliant. It has to be procured from other states. In its 15 years of rule, the TMC government could not even provide you with fish. This is an example of TMC’s corruption,” Modi said.Banerjee and other TMC leaders have been attacking the BJP, claiming it would stop people from selling and eating fish if it comes to power in West Bengal.Modi said that the BJP governments at the Centre and the state would make Bengal self-reliant in fish production. “In the last 11 years, fish production and seafood export in the country doubled. But because of the TMC-government’s sins, West Bengal could not achieve this. Fish production is fast increasing in BJP-ruled states. There was a time when Bihar had to procure fish from other states. But because of the BJP government’s policies, fish production in the state has almost doubled. It now sends fish outside the state. In Assam too, fish production has doubled in the last decade.”He said the Prime Minister Matya Sampada Yojana played an important role in increasing the fish production in India. “The arrogant TMC government did not implement the scheme as it had the word Prime Minister in it,” Modi said.Banerjee cited her government’s achievements in increasing fish production. She added that the TMC government has reduced the dependency of the state on neighbouring Bangladesh for Hilsa. “Earlier, there was a scarcity of Hisla, and we had to depend on Bangladesh. In 2013, we set up a research centre for Hilsa at Diamond Harbour. Today, there is no dearth of Hilsa. We had to procure eggs from Andhra Pradesh. Now, 90% of our egg requirement is produced in the state. We have even started conserving the small fish. We have issued cards to fishermen through which they can be tracked during disasters.”