The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday registered a complaint with the Election Commission against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for violating the model code of conduct (MCC) ahead of the bypolls in six assembly constituencies in West Bengal.
Home Minister Shah had visited the Petrapole land port along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas on Sunday to inaugurate an integrated check post, a passenger terminal and the Maitri Dwar (friendship gate) – a cargo gate at the Zero Line.
In its letter to the chief electoral officer, the TMC claimed that Shah’s “politically charged” call for “Parivartan in 2026” was not connected to the event” and breached the MCC as Haroa and Naihati assemblies, set for by-elections on November 13, falls within North 24 Parganas district.
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During the event in Petrapole, Shah stated that after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, a BJP-led government would address all the grievances of the people in the state. “You bring parivartan in 2026 and we will stop illegal immigration. Development is our only goal,” he said.
TMC also claimed that the union minister made “slanderous remarks” against its supremo Mamata Banerjee “with an intent to defame” her. The TMC further claimed that Shah had violated the MCC by using official machinery during the event.
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On Sunday, the former president of the BJP visited West Bengal for the first time since the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year. In those elections, the saffron party secured only 12 seats, falling short of the 30-seat goal that Shah himself had set during his previous visits.
After attending the government events, Shah participated in a party programme where he set a new goal for the BJP’s West Bengal unit. He urged the leaders in the state to grow the party’s membership in the state to one crore for securing victory in the 2026 elections.