Kolkata, April 15 (IANS) On the occasion of the Bengali New Year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to the people of the poll-bound Bengal to resist what she described as the Centre’s high-handedness and to uphold the state’s tradition of communal harmony.

“I extend my heartfelt greetings on the occasion of the Bengali New Year to the people across the state. May each of your lives be free from sorrow at the dawn of this new year. May every soul be filled with purity in this call of the new,” Banerjee wrote in a post on X.

She urged citizens to respond democratically to what she alleged were attempts by the Centre to curtail voting rights.

“Just as our Bengal is a seat of art and culture, it is also a land of harmony among all religions. Some evil forces have risen to corrupt this Bengal. The rulers in Delhi are taking away the voting rights of the people. Remember, they will have to be answered democratically,” she said.

Banerjee also called upon people to take a pledge to resist divisive and autocratic tendencies.

“On this auspicious day, let us collectively take an oath. We will break the walls of all kinds of narrow-mindedness and move forward. May no divisive or autocratic force be able to break our eternal peace, traditional harmony, and bonds of friendship,” she said.

She concluded with an appeal to voters to support Trinamool Congress candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

“May everyone be well and healthy. To uphold your democratic rights in the upcoming Assembly elections, vote for the ‘double flower’ symbol and ensure that all Trinamool Congress candidates win with a huge margin,” she added.

A sharp war of words has intensified between Mamata Banerjee and the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2026 polls in West Bengal.

Banerjee has accused the BJP of undermining democracy, while the BJP has hit back with alleged large-scale infiltration and poor governance, turning the campaign into a high-pitched and deeply polarised political confrontation.

–IANS

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