Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded impartial and “not BJP elections”, lashing out at the BJP-led Centre’s alleged agency raj, not long after the Election Commission of India announced the unprecedented decision to engage the Enforcement Directorate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Her statement came after both the Election Commission of India’s remarks and the high court order to physically hand over suspended Trinamul strongman from Sandeshkhali, Sheikh Shahjahan, to the CBI, and the probe into an attack on an Enforcement Directorate contingent during the January 5 raid at his residence.

“What is the track record of these (central) agencies? What have they got to show for themselves?” asked Mamata after a state government event at West Midnapore district.

Speaking briefly to journalists there, she again attacked the alleged misuse of central probe agencies in the saffron regime to corner its political opponents.

“We want impartial elections, not BJP elections.... Bengal is the only place where impartial elections still take place,” said Mamata.

The visiting EC team earlier in the day told reporters in Calcutta that the agencies would investigate the illegal flow of cash through international borders and keep an eye on banking transactions, to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.

The EC also said it was aware of the “bias” of the civil and police administration in Bengal and hence would take necessary measures to ensure uncompromised elections.

“Those saying lofty things against Bengal, I advise them to go to (BJP-ruled) states such as Uttar Pradesh,” said Mamata, also the Trinamul chief.

“Bengal is far more healthy, clean,” Mamata added, going on to attack, without taking names, the apparent attempts of the saffron ecosystem to malign Bengal by misusing Sandeshkhali and the alleged crimes against women there.

At the state government event in West Midnapore earlier, the Bengal chief minister said that her guarantees were trustworthy, unlike those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Remember, when the Bengal government gives a guarantee, it goes out of its way to fulfill it. The guarantees by Delhi are almost never fulfilled. Their guarantees mean nothing to the people,” the chief minister said, referring to the ongoing “Modi ka guarantee” campaign.

“Their (the BJP's) guarantees are like gas balloons, inflated and released before the elections. Right after the votes are cast, they go bust,” added Mamata, tearing into the BJP-led Centre for “step-motherly treatment of Bengal”.

The only such guarantee that the Prime Minister has issued for Bengal so far was last week at his Arambagh rally, when he defended freezing the central funds that were due to Bengal.

“Even the chief minister sits on dharna to save the corrupt. They want to plunder by misuse of central schemes. Modi is not allowing them this high-handedness. So Trinamul thinks Modi is their Enemy Number One,” Modi had said in Arambagh.

“Should I allow Trinamul’s loot? Isn’t this Bengal’s money? Is this not a righteous fight?” he asked, two-and-a-half months after he purportedly assured a Mamata-led delegation in Delhi to work towards the release of over Rs 1.6 lakh crore in frozen funds.

“I promise the people of Bengal, it is my guarantee. These looters will be made to give back,” Modi had said.