Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday denied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bangladesh visit was aimed at influencing the Bengal elections.

“The Prime Minister’s trip is to strengthen the ties between the two countries, to revive the cultural ties,” Shah said in reply to a reporter who had referred to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that Modi had violated the model code of conduct by courting “one community” during his Bangladesh trip.

But before answering, Shah sought to question the reporter for asking the question.

“They (Mamata and Trinamul) will raise questions, why are you (doing so)?” the home minister asked.

Mamata had threatened to ask the Election Commission to act against the Prime Minister after Modi on Saturday visited Orakandi, the birthplace of Matua sect founder Harichand Thakur in Bangladesh, and tweeted pictures of the “blessed moments”.

The Matuas, immigrants from Bangladesh, have a sizeable vote in at least 40 Assembly seats in Bengal and the BJP has been systematically courting them.

Several Matua leaders have said Modi’s Orakandi visit would influence the community’s voting preferences.

“Kal pradhan mantri ne koi baat ki hai prachar ki (Did the Prime Minister say anything yesterday that amounted to campaigning)?” Shah asked. “Koi baat nahi ki (He didn’t say anything).”
He added: “There, the Prime Minister didn’t say anything about Mamata Didi or the BJP or the election.”

Shah did not mention Modi’s visit to Orakandi.

Seat claims

Shah predicted the BJP would win the overwhelming majority of seats in the first phase of polls in Bengal and Assam, citing specific figures.

The Election Commission had on March 26 banned the media from publishing or broadcasting, till the end of the last phase of voting, anything —“astrology, tarot card
readers, political analysts or by any person” — that sought to predict the election results.

Asked about Shah’s predictions at the news conference, Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala said: “A frustrated home minister is resorting to fake claims, which is his characteristic style. Will Shah tell us how many people refused to even take BJP tickets in Bengal? They gave tickets to people who are not members of the BJP. He is frightened and is now trying to mislead the voters.”

Shah had sounded as though he was still the BJP president as he addressed the media on the sprawling lawns of his ministerial residence, a party banner in the background.

Conventionally, it’s the BJP president and not the country’s home minister who holds such media briefings relating to the party’s poll prospects. Shah had handed over the party reins to J.P. Nadda in January last year.

BJP insiders said everyone knew that Shah continued to be the de facto party chief, and Shah appeared to be underscoring that reality on Sunday.

EC praise

Shah congratulated the Election Commission for the violence-free voting – repeating sentiments expressed by the BJP on Saturday in a role reversal that saw Trinamul complain of muscle-flexing by its rival.

“After many years, polling was held without any violence (in Bengal). The Election Commission deserves credit for the peaceful polling,” Shah said.

He thanked the women voters, claiming they had voted in large numbers for the BJP.

Asked about the purportedly leaked phone conversation between BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Shishir Bajoria about the need to appoint non-resident polling agents, Shah asked how the call had been “tapped”.

“The question is, who tapped it and how did it happen?” he said.

He claimed there was nothing secretive about what the two BJP leaders were discussing and added that they had made the demand in writing to the Election Commission.