Cooch Behar (West Bengal) [India], April 19 : As the first phase of voting in the Lok Sabha elections got underway, Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia, TMC candidate from Cooch Behar constituency, appealed to the voters to cast their vote in the name of work and not religion. He also stepped up his attack on BJP and said that the people of Cooch Behar are happily supporting him and are upset with Nisith Pramanik, Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the BJP candidate from the constituency.
Expressing his views on the significance of voting and casting it accordingly, Basunia said, "We tell everyone that their vote is precious and they should cast it after proper deliberation. I have appealed to the voters to go and cast their vote peacefully. 'Dharm se nahi, karm se vote do (Vote on the basis of work, not on the basis of religion)."
Speaking to ANI, Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia said that people are unhappy with Nisith Pramanik. He said, "The people of Cooch Behar are thinking that Nisith Pramanik hasn't done any work and even after being a Union Minister, he didn't do anything... Cooch Behar has decided to remove him from power... While campaigning, I observed that the people are happily supporting me."
Taking a dig at the BJP candidate, Basunia also said that Nisith Pramanik is a kind of person who creates fear among people.
Talking about the Rajbanshis and their vote share, the TMC candidate claimed that they will not vote for BJP and the association of the Rajbanshis are openly supporting TMC through rallies and public meetings. "In the last five years, the Rajbanshis voted for him (Nisith Pramanik) but he didn't work for them... This time, the Rajvanshis will not vote for him and they are openly supporting TMC through rallies and public meetings... Their association is with us. Majority of Rajbanshi votes will be secured by TMC," Basunia said.
Basunia also claimed that Cooch Behar has decided that only TMC is with them as the party has done a lot of work towards unemployment and paid attention to women and children issues. "The kind of enthusiasm I have seen in public during the campaign, I have felt that the people of Cooch Behar have decided that it is only the TMC that is with them... TMC worked for people 24 by 7 for unemployment, women, and children.
Slamming BJP, Basunia said that BJP speaks lies and they haven't done any work and hence, the TMC this time will win with a great majority. He also said that the party always fulfills their promises, unlike the BJP, who gives guarantees but doesn't work on it.
On being questioned about Nishith Paramanik's claim that TMC is the party of goons, the TMC candidate said, "He should think how many cases are against him and how many cases are against me. The cases will only be against the goons. So why are they calling others goons? They are themselves goons. He has 14 cases against them. The cases registered against him are such that he can get jail terms of 12 years or even 14 years..."
The TMC candidate also asserted that people should not fear as the Central Forces have come to do their work. "There is nothing to fear. Central Forces have come here to exercise their duty. They will be present outside the booth and will not interfere. You go to the booth and cast your vote. There is nothing to fear..."
Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Friday across 102 parliamentary constituencies spread over 21 states and Union Territories as the mega seven-phase electoral exercise commenced at 7:00 am. Voters will exercise the franchise until 6:00 pm.
The Cooch Behar parliamentary seat is currently held by the BJP. Cooch Behar is witnessing a poll battle among TMC's Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Congress's Piya Roy Chowdhury, and BJP's Nisith Pramanik.
Polling in the 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal will be held across all seven phases: April 19, April 26, May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Cooch Behar will vote in the first phase on April 19. Though the TMC is part of the INDIA bloc, it does not have a seat-sharing arrangement with the other parties in the alliance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term, while the opposition bloc-INDIA- a coalition of opposition parties formed to take on the BJP in the general elections, is eyeing ousting him from power.
According to the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), a total of 1.87 lakh polling stations have been set up, while 18 lakh personnel have been deployed across the 102 constituencies going to the polls.