Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 8 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP and actress Kangana Ranaut slammed ruling Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly failing to ensure the safety of women.

She also referred to the statement of Home Minister Amit Shah.

'... The BJP is confident of forming the government here. Injustices against daughters of the state and the plight of doctors on night duty have shocked the nation. A woman Chief Minister has failed to ensure women's safety... At the Kalighat temple, prayers were offered for Bengal's daughters... As the Home Minister (Amit Shah) said, the law will firmly deal with criminals in West Bengal...,' Kangana told ANI on Tuesday.

She also lashed out at Mamata Banerjee for opposing the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls and pointed out that the exercise had been conducted before as well. '... Lakhs of names have been removed, showing how governments were being formed in the past. This is a transparent and open process. SIR has been conducted in the past as well, during the previous government's tenure. There's nothing new in it... If action is being taken against infiltrators, why does Mamata Banerjee feel the pain? The people of Bengal see this clearly, which is why they have decided to bring a BJP government this time.'

Her remark comes amid high political tension as West Bengal prepares for a two-phase assembly election on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes on May 4.

In the last assembly election in the state, held in eight phases in 2021, the Trinamool Congress recorded a landslide victory with 213 seats amid an intense contest with the BJP, which jumped to 77 seats. Congress and Left Front drew a blank in the last state polls.

However, in the 2021 state Assembly elections, despite a high voter turnout of 84.7%, the Trinamool Congress retained power, though it saw a slight dip in its total seat count, winning 213 seats with 48.5% of the vote share. The BJP saw a significant improvement in its performance, jumping from three seats in 2016 to 77 seats with 38.5% of the vote share. Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress witnessed a sharp decline, winning only one seat with 1.6% of the vote share. (ANI)