BJP forced Election Commission to ban campaigning in West Bengal: Mayawati

Lucknow: BSP President Mayawati on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission's decision to curtail campaigning in West Bengal was taken under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Election Commission has banned the election 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," Mayawati told the media.

"Why did they put the ban from 10 p.m. and not since the morning? This proves that the Election Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP. It is unfair. The BJP has targeted Mamata Banerjee. There are attempts to defame the Bengal government," she said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, accused Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of targeting Banerjee. "This is a very dangerous and unjust trend."