In West Bengal, it’s ‘nepotism’ vs ‘lies’

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee

Launching a fresh tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said he was "peddling lies to mislead the voters" in the poll-bound state.

Banerjee, addressing a rally in Siliguri following her protest march over LPG price hike, said the prime minister made many "empty" promises over the years, and people no longer trust him. She sought to know "why the PM has not yet deposited R15 lakh in the bank accounts of every citizen, as promised by him before 2014 Lok Sabha polls".

"We demand you make LPG cylinder affordable to every citizen of the country. You have made LPG cylinders inaccessible for the common man," the CM said. She said Modi should be "ashamed of his habit of telling lies".

Earlier in the day, Modi, during his rally in Kolkata, accused Banerjee of "betraying and insulting" the people of the state who trusted that she will bring about a change after the Left rule. He also accused her of nepotism by choosing to play the limited role of "bua" (aunt) to her "bhatija" (nephew) instead of becoming "Didi" (elder sister) to the people. The BJP has been accusing her of trying to instal her nephew and MP Abhishek as the next CM.

Mithun joins BJP

PM Narendra Modi greets actor Mithun Chakraborty who joined BJP earlier on Sunday, at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. PIC/PTI

Yesteryear Bollywood heartthrob Mithun Chakraborty on Sunday joined the BJP at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata ahead of PM Narendra Modi's rally. He said, "I always wanted to do something big in life... I wished to work for the poorer sections of our society, and that wish will now be fulfilled."

TN polls: DMK gives 25 seats to Cong

DMK's Stalin and Congress's Alagiri in Chennai. PIC/PTI

After tough negotiations that stretched for days, the DMK on Sunday allotted 25 assembly seats and the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency to its key ally, the Congress. A formal pact for the April 6 election was signed by DMK president M K Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K S Alagiri at the Dravidian party's headquarters Anna Arivalayam' in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats. The DMK has so far allotted 48 seats to allies.

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