Mamata, Modi set to do battle in Bengal today

Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to address his two back-to-back grand rallies in Siliguri in North Bengal and Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata for the BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign on Wednesday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has swiftly advanced her campaign plans. She will now retaliate over his high-voltage attack on her rule the same day.

The Trinamul Congress supremo earlier decided to kickstart her campaign of 100 rallies from April 4 in Cooch Behar in North Bengal. “On April 4, I will leave for Cooch Behar to attend a rally there. Next day I will be in Assam to address a rally there..,” she had said on Sunday. Ms Banerjee, however, changed her itinerary overnight in a desperate bid to give no room to Mr Modi even for a day, Trinamul insiders have indicated.

She brought forward the date of starting the campaign to Wednesday when Mr Modi is also due to start his day-long state-tour from Siliguri in North Bengal, where he will address his first rally at an Indian Railways ground close to New Jalp-aiguri railway station for the first phase of the polls in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar on April 11.

The PM will then fly to Kolkata and will address his second rally in the afternoon at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground, where Ms Banerjee had convened her “United India” rally in January with most of the top Opposition leaders in attendance.

Sources said the chief minister will reach Cooch Behar on Wednesday morning, but she will address her rally only after Mr Modi’s second rally in Kolkata is expected to be over. Her change in itinerary earned her potshots from the BJP on Tuesday.

BJP national secretary and Kolkata North candidate Rahul Sinha claimed: “Ms Banerjee’s rally was scheduled to take place a day after Mr Modi’s rally. As soon as Mr Modi’s itinerary was confirmed, she rescheduled her rally because she wants to reply. What does that mean? It implies that the people would be mesmerised by Mr Modi’s speech. And Ms Banerjee has realised it.”

He added: “That is why she will address her rally soon after the PM’s rallies to remove the impression about him from the public mind by spreading some lies. But her effort will not succeed.”