WITH two phases over, campaign by the leaders, workers and supporters of CPI(M) is at its peak in West Bengal. The scorching sun and sweltering heat has not been able to act as a dampener to the combative spirit of the comrades. Every nook and cranny of every constituency is being visited by Left activists who have laid more stress on door-to door campaign and people-to-people contact. They are approaching every voter to listen to their woes and show their solidarity with their daily struggle for survival.

UNABLE to sustain its narrative around Pulwama and Balakot and more importantly no tangible achievements to trumpet about, the BJP is back to its time-tested stratagems. BJP president Amit Shah, candidate from Gandhinagar constituency, in a road show at the start of his campaign thundered “Kashmir hamara hai” (Kashmir is ours). This, in a constituency, which, ever since its creation in 1967, has returned the BJP nine out of fourteen times, is a giveaway. Those elected from here include Shanker Singh Vaghela, Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani.

“DIL se Salim, Phir se Salim” is the war cry of the CPI(M) cadres, supporters and people of the Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. This constituency with approximately 14 lakh electorate has once been a Congress stronghold with exceptions on certain occasions. The CPI(M) with sustained efforts and enthusiastic campaigning was able to harness the deep-rooted sense of betrayal amongst the common man against the then incumbent member of parliament of the Indian National Congress and wrest the seat from her in 2014.  

DESPITE widespread fascist like terror across the state, the Left Front organised an impressive mass meeting in Agartala on April 6 in support of its two candidates.  No vehicle owner dared to lease their buses to carry people to Agartala as BJP threatened them with dire consequences. But braving all terrors people came in thousands.  

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has said that, the election manifesto of the BJP released on April 8, is yet another election jumla. She was reacting to the questions regarding the BJP’s manifesto which emphasises on Ram mandir and terrorism, at a meet the press programme conducted by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists in Thiruvananthapuram on April 8.