COOCH BEHAR: Taking a jibe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amidst the third phase of West Bengal assembly polls on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said she has scored an ‘own goal’ in politics like in football after her ‘khela’ in Nandigram.
Addressing a public meeting in Cooch Behar, the Prime Minister said, “Didi, people say you play a lot of football. Didi, the day you did ‘khela’ at the polling booth in Nandigram, the same day the country knew that you have lost the elections. You have already scored an own goal in politics like in football!”
“Didi, you are not proud that West Bengal is seeing more than 80 per cent voter turnout. It means that you are losing. Recently, you (Mamata Banerjee) appealed for Muslim unity and said their votes should not divide. It shows that the Muslim vote bank, which you considered as your strength, has slipped out of our hands,” he said.
The third phase of polling is underway in 31 Assembly constituencies including eight in Hooghly, seven in Howrah and 16 in South 24 Parganas. There are 205 candidates in the fray in this round of polling. However, when it comes to women representation, there are only 13 women candidates contesting in this phase, merely six per cent.
Polling for the first two phases of the West Bengal elections was held on March 27 and April 1 respectively. The fourth phase of polling will take place on April 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)
