Purba Bardhaman (West Bengal) [India], April 26 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP leader JP Nadda expressed his strong confidence that people of Bengal has decided to vote for the BJP in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, scheduled to be held on April 29. 'You can see the enthusiasm in the public. People have made up their minds to remove Mamata Banerjee and bring the BJP government to power. In the second phase, the public has decided to vote for the BJP. People will vote against Mamata Banerjee, tolabazi, syndicate, coal and sand mafia... People want to get rid of the infiltrators, and that is why they are eager to vote for the BJP. People have said goodbye to Mamata Banerjee. There is a wave in favour of the BJP...,' the Union Minister said during a roadshow in Bhatar Assembly constituency on Sunday.

He further said the people of Bengal have decided to finish the Maha Jungle Raj in the state.

'The people have decided to finish the Maha Jungle Raj in West Bengal. When the BJP wins on 4th May, jungle raj will end forever from 5th May. There have been atrocities against women, including domestic violence, abduction, and acid attack in West Bengal,' the BJP leader said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Trinamool Congress over the handling of Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium last year.

He attributed the mismanagement of the event to what he described as the TMC's 'Maha Jungle Raj', adding that the ruling party here has damaged the state's sports culture.

'The TMC syndicate has destroyed the sports ecosystem here. In Kolkata, just a few months ago, what happened, the pictures that reached all the football fans around the world, it was the result of the Maha Jungleraj. I assure players of Bengal that under the 'Khelo India' campaign, a new sports ecosystem will be created in Bengal,' PM Modi said while assuring people here that 'BJP will give a new boost to Bengal's sports culture.'

Polling for Phase I of the Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 91.78 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The high turnout figures underline an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies.

The counting of votes scheduled for May 4. (ANI)