With an eye on the last two phases of the Assembly elections in Bengal, the Trinamul Congress president, Mamata Banerjee today asked her party leaders to face the poll battle with a never-say-die spirit.

She addressed a party workers’ meeting today at Behrampore Rabindrasadan auditorium in Murshidabad district.

Amidst the opposition parties’ criticism that Miss Banerjee has been camping like an ‘occupation force’ in Murshidabad, the Muslimdominated district with 22 Assembly constituencies slated to hold elections on 26 April and 29 April, she counselled her party cadres on the strategy to deal with the police and central forces who are allegedly harming interests of the TMC and working at the behest of BJP and the Election Commission.

Today was the last day of her campaign trips undertaken over the last three days. Camping at Behrampore, the headquarters of Murshidabad district, she had been travelling aboard a copter to Birbhum, Burdwan etc and landed back each day to stay at a city hotel here.

Banerjee charged up her workers saying, “Let it not be sald that I am in a war and I fled the battlefield when the fight began. Do not leave the ground. Fight to the finish.” Condoling the Covidinduced death of Kajal Sinha, the TMC candidate from Khardah, Mamata said, “Kajal was with the party for long. He was very bold. Covid claimed his life. But we shall win the Khardah seat.”

The Covid crisis in the state deepened due to the BJP and the Election Commission, she alleged. “I repeatedly said that the last three phases of the polls should be clubbed into one phase. But the EC did not listen to me.

The breakup of election days into eight phases was planned by the BJP, she said adding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliberately made it an eight phase election.

The Prime Minister has no time for India as he is busy to loot the Bengal election, Banerjee alleged.

Two lakh security personnel coming from outside without Covid test and staying in hotels and guest houses in Bengal are spreading the Covid infections here, she observed directing the TMC leaders and cadres to maintain safe distance from the central forces.

The Election Commission curried favour with the BJP during the polls at Jagaddal, Bhatpara etc where central security forces accorded protection to the BJP’s criminals from Asansol, Kolkata etc, the TMC chief alleged.

There are polling personnel who, afraid of the Election Commission, keep mum but they do not know that the EC is there for one day while the government (if the TMC retains power) will be there for five years,” said Miss Banerjee.

“I came to know that the police in West Burdwan (that is going to polls tomorrow) were used to back musclemen who went door to door threatening TMC households to not move out of their homes. Even the TMC election agents were intimidated in this manner. But I tell you to move out. Don’t fear anything. If cases are filed against you we shall see it because we are coming back to power again,” Miss Banerjee said.

The Election Commission has become the mirror of BJP, she remarked with the warning that the TMC would move the top court against the EC. The Commission has posted one retired man, Bibek Dubey for controlling in-service officers, she said.