Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BJP of hatching a plan to use the railways to rig the elections in Bengal, an allegation that is bound to intensify the war of words between Trinamul and the BJP ahead of the do-or-die Assembly polls in Bengal.

“Some ministers, including the railway minister, are hatching a conspiracy to loot votes in the Bengal elections... I know a high-level meeting was held to this effect. The plan is to send looters from different places in the country, who will reach Bengal in trains. The railway minister has instructed railway officers to organise food and place of stay for these people,” said Mamata in her second public meeting in Balarampur in the district to back party nominee Shantiram Mahato.

Possibly aware that this charge — which includes railway minister Piyush Goyal — would draw sharp response from the BJP and the matter may even reach the Election Commission, the chief minister — campaigning in a wheelchair for the second day in a row owing to her injury in Nandigram on March 10 — stressed that she was making the allegation with full responsibility.

“Someone in the know of things has told me about this...I am not naming the person because of security concerns,” she said.

The issue of the BJP’s attempt to rig the election found a mention in Mamata’s address while she was referring to the border that Bengal shares with neighbouring Jharkhand along Ayodhya Hills.

Midway through her speech in Balarampur, Mamata said that the BJP was infiltrating Bengal with outsiders using Ayodhya Hills.

“This border has not been sealed as yet and I am urging the administration to look into it. I will also take up the matter with Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who will come to Bengal to campaign for us (Trinamul),” said Mamata.

Mamata also urged the electorate to be vigilant about outsiders infiltrating their areas ahead of the polls and resist any attempts by them to “loot the votes”.

In the past, several Trinamul leaders had blamed the BJP of using the Bengal-Jharkhand border to send goons to create problems in Bengal.

But Mamata making a charge that includes the Union railway minister assumes more significance.

A Trinamul source close to Mamata said she would not have made such an attack without definitive information.

“We all know about the tilt in the poll panel towards the ruling party at the Centre. There is no doubt that they (the BJP) would take it up with the ECI... As she is sure about the information, she made it public to make people aware of the BJP’s culture,” said the source.

Mamata also repeatedly tried to highlight the BJP leadership’s cultural disconnect with Bengal.

“They will claim that they are having food in the homes of lower caste people, but these BJP leaders still believe in untouchability.... You will look at them and understand,” said Mamata.

The BJP was quick to dismiss the chief minister’s allegations. Samik Bhattacharya, the chief spokesperson of state BJP, rubbished the charge.

“We are tired of these fancy allegations from Trinamul. They must remember that the more the number of ridiculous allegations they level against us, the more our vote share will increase,” Bhattacharya said.