West Bengal ready to elect 'Lotus' govt: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta ahead of polls

With the muchanticipated West Bengal Assembly elections just days away Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday expressed confidence that the people of the state are prepared to bring a government represented by the Lotus symbol to powerSpeaking to reporters Rekha Gupta said that as voting day approaches the confidence of her party continues to grow strongerldquoEvery resident of Bengal who has endured 15 years of politics marked by fear and intimidation is now determined for change The sense of oppression has only increased over time but today people appear to have firmly made up their minds This time they are ready to bring a government of the Lotus symbol in Bengal After the results on May 4 it will feel like a sunrise where everyone is respectedrdquo she said reported IANSDelhi CM slams West Bengal govt over womenrsquos safety alleges corruptionAccording to IANS the Delhi Chief Minister also criticised the current state administration alleging that West Bengal has been in a difficult situation for several years She raised concerns about the safety of women claiming that there is an atmosphere of fearldquoTell me how do women and daughters manage their daily lives here There are allegations of rule by goons linked to the Trinamool Congress Women are unable to step out safely and if they do they are questioned Incidents like the RG Kar case show that even under a woman Chief Minister women have not felt secure This is deeply unfortunaterdquo she addedGupta further alleged widespread corruption in the state particularly in the form of ldquocut moneyrdquoldquoWhether it is employment government jobs or any official work nothing moves forward without lsquocut moneyrsquo Farmers are distressed because they are not receiving their due payments youth are frustrated due to lack of jobs and women do not feel safe In such a situation why would people vote for the current leadership That is the key questionrdquo she remarkedShe also advised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to focus on her campaign reported IANSldquoI believe Mamata Banerjee should concentrate on her election efforts The ground beneath her is slipping Instead of reacting to others she should listen carefully to what the public is sayingrdquo Gupta saidEC assures free polls declares dry day ahead of Bengalrsquos twophase votingMeanwhile Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday assured that the Election Commission would ldquoleave no stone unturnedrdquo to ensure free and fair elections in the stateThe Election Commission of India has also imposed a 48hour lsquoDry Dayrsquo in pollbound areas of West Bengal as well as in Tamil Nadu to maintain order and fairness during the voting period reported IANSWest Bengal is set to witness a twophase Assembly election covering all 294 constituencies marking a shift from the multiphase polling pattern seen in previous elections The first phase of voting will take place on April 23 followed by the second phase on April 29 The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4In Phase 1 polling will be conducted across 152 constituencies spread over 16 districts The remaining 142 constituencies in seven districts will go to the polls in Phase 2 completing the electoral processThis yearrsquos election marks a notable departure from past trends While the state saw a singlephase election in 2001 it has largely witnessed multiphase polls in recent years including the eightphase election in 2021 The shift to a twophase system is being attributed to improved administrative planning and strengthened security arrangements reported IANSInputs from IANS