Babul Supriyo calls Grand Alliance ‘Mahathagbandhan’

Kolkata, May 16 (IANS) While the opposition leaders expressed their solidarity with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's displeasure over the Election Commission's (EC) unprecedented decision to curtail poll campaign in the state by 20 hours, BJP MP Babul Supriyo on Thursday called the opposition Grand Alliance 'Mahathagbandhan' (alliance of crooks).

"The 'Mahathagbandhan' will never be voted 'in' by the people of India because they will always keep politics above them," Supriyo tweeted.

The EC's decision came in the wake of repeated instances of violence in the state during the Lok Sabha polls, which reached a tipping point on Tuesday when the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was smashed at the college named after the social reformer following violent clashes during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata.

Stating that the EC didn't act timely, Supriyo tweeted: "For six phases they kept stoic silence while democracy and human beings got murdered by Mamata and her #TMchhi. Now, they have all found their voices. #Shame."

On Wednesday, Banerjee had claimed that the EC's decision was taken at the "behest of the BJP, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Shah".

"EC's biased actions under the directions of the BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she said.

Expressing solidarity with Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday told reporters: "The Election Commission has banned poll campaign in West Bengal from 10 p.m. today (Thursday). But the Prime Minister is holding two rallies (before the ban comes into force). This shows that the Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP."