Overview
- At a Cooch Behar rally on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast the April 1st Malda gherao of seven judicial officers as proof of TMC “jungleraj” and urged voters to choose BJP “bharosa,” promising post–May 4 accountability for alleged corruption and violence.
- The Malda case now sits with the National Investigation Agency after an Election Commission–linked Supreme Court directive, following state CID arrests of AIMIM leader Mofakkerul Islam and an aide on charges of orchestrating the protest during electoral roll hearings known as Special Intensive Revision.
- Following Thursday’s Bhabanipur clashes during Amit Shah’s visit, the Election Commission suspended a deputy commissioner and three Kolkata Police officers, while Mamata Banerjee called the unrest a planned attack she blamed on outsiders brought in under the guise of nominations.
- BJP leaders are pairing a forthcoming West Bengal “vision document” on infrastructure, tighter policing and 7th Pay Commission pay with a hard line on illegal immigration, as Nitin Gadkari said the party opposes infiltrators, not Muslims, and touted large Northeast road and logistics investments.
- In Assam ahead of the April 9 vote, Congress and allies escalated attacks on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged corruption and ‘syndicate’ networks, while a controversy over remarks about AJP candidate Kunki Chowdhury’s mother highlighted identity-fueled campaign tactics.