Mamata govt nearing its "expiry date", says BJP, terms attack on Ghosh as 'act of frustration'

New Delhi, May 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the attack on its candidate Bharati Ghosh in West Bengal and said the conduct of the Mamata Banerjee-led party shows that her government is nearing its "expiry date".

Bharati Ghosh, BJP's candidate from West Bengal's Ghatal constituency, was in tears on Sunday morning after being heckled at a polling booth. Ghosh alleged that she was pushed by some women supporters of the Trinamool Congress when she went to a polling station in her constituency. Bharti Ghosh, was stopped from entering a booth at Keshpur by TMC cadres. Bharti had allegedly wanted to sit at the booth and was stopped from doing that by the TMC polling agent, leading to a scuffle where both sides engaged in pushing.

The party also demanded that the Election Commission take suo motu cognisance of matter. Ghosh was allegedly attacked twice by locals on Sunday when the former IPS officer tried to visit polling stations in Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency, where she is the BJP candidate, when polling was underway there. One of her security guards was injured in stone pelting while Ghosh herself suffered minor injuries when a group of women allegedly attacked her when she tried to take a BJP agent inside a polling booth at Keshpur area in the morning.

Union minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said, "Stones were pelted on her car and she was also injured. Instead of taking action against the goons, Ghosh's movements have been restricted and her car, which was vandalised, has been seized by the local administration. This is unacceptable. The TMC goons are engaged in unabated violence against the BJP. This is an act of frustration."

The state CEO has sought reports from the West Midnapore district magistrate about the incidents. Javadekar also claimed that in Jhargam Lok Sabha constituency, the body of a BJP booth president has been recovered.

Demanding that poll observers should ensure proper deployment of central forces for smooth voting, the Union minister said, "Mamata (Banerjee) says there is an expiry date for the prime minister. But the way they are conducting elections, the amount of frustration, and with the imminent defeat of the TMC, there is an expiry date of the Mamata government."