Mamata Banerjee, in her maiden campaign rally on Sunday, attacked Prime minister Narendra Modi and the BJP with everything, including weaponising central probe agencies, stoppage of development funds to Bengal, breaking Opposition parties and the Citizenship Amendment Act, but remained mum on one front: electoral bonds.

“The CBI, ED, NIA, IT are going after our workers and leaders. I was talking to one of our partymen. For three days, 16 officers from the income tax department were at his home, his family was not allowed to use the toilet or cook,” said the Trinamul supremo and Bengal chief minister in her speech while campaigning for the party's Krishnanagar nominee, Mahua Moitra, at Nadia's Dhubulia. "If BJP is so confident of winning the Lok Sabha polls, why are you using agencies, why are the state officers being transferred?”

Mamata challenged the BJP to cross 200 seats in the upcoming elections and not dream about 400.

According to the data released by the State Bank of India, the BJP had received donations via the bonds to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore, followed by the Trinamul Congress, the second largest beneficiary of the party funding scheme deemed illegal by the apex court with donations worth Rs 1,592 crore.

“Just two days ago, CBI cases against Patel bhaiya (NCP president Praful Patel), were closed since he is with the BJP now. The BJP washing machine has cleaned the stains,” she said addressing the 40,000 strong-crowd.

Alleged corruption among the Trinamul rank and file has been one of the talking points during every poll campaign since the 2014 general elections after the Saradha scam broke. But it had little electoral impact on ground.

“They will send notices and summons. In your reply say you are busy with the elections and will respond after the poll process is over,” was the Bengal chief minister advice to her party leaders and workers.

Mahua, who was expelled from Parliament last December in connection with a cash-for-query charge, had her home and office raided over a week ago and was also summoned for interrogation in Delhi, which she ignored.

Mamata questioned why leaders from the Congress and the CPM have not been summoned for questioning.

“The country is not in a good condition. Fifteen of our vote managers have been arrested by the NIA. The Gaddar babu of Contai (BJP leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari), why are my district presidents being served with notices?” Mamata asked. “A jumla government is at the Centre. They don’t know these things can’t be done once elections are announced. Why are Congress and CPM leaders being spared, though I don’t want anything to happen to them. They have kept Arvind (Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister arrested in a liquor scam) behind bars, but could they stop his work?”

The fact is in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, Congress bank accounts have been frozen and penalties amounting to around Rs 2,000 crore imposed on the grand old party via multiple tax notices. The Communist Party of India has been asked to pay a penalty of Rs 11 crore for alleged “use of an old PAN card”, while the CPM has been fighting a legal battle against the IT department over a Rs 15.59 crore penalty since May 2023 in the Delhi High Court. Four days ago, the Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena and her IT company, Exalogic Solutions.

The Mumbai North West candidate from Shiv Sena (UBT), Amol Kirtikar, received summons from the ED barely an hour after his nomination over alleged irregularities on distribution of khichdi during the Covid pandemic.

Despite the differences in many other states, including Maharashtra, partners in the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance have mostly stuck together.

On Sunday, the members of the INDIA bloc addressed a poll rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Ground. Mamata skipped the public meeting but sent two representatives.

In Nadia, she began her address saying she wanted to highlight the reasons why the electorate in Bengal should vote for her party, the Trinamul Congress, and not the BJP, the CPM or the Congress.

“I started INDIA. I gave the name. After the elections I will see. A vote to the CPM or the Congress means a vote to the BJP,” Mamata said. “There is no alliance here in Bengal. It is only a conspiracy. We will fight the BJP alone in Bengal and defeat them.”

The Congress and the CPM are yet to finalize the seat-sharing arrangement and there are problems with other Left parties, especially the Forward Bloc. Even the 2021 Assembly poll alliance partner, Indian Secular Front, has not been on the same page with the CPM.

“The Congress, CPM and another party of Muslims they are helping the BJP by eating into the Matua and Muslim votes. They want to keep the Hindus divided,” she said.

Mamata urged voters to vote for the Trinamul to ensure they could continue to receive benefits from state-funded welfare schemes. “Kanyashree, Swasthya Sathi and other schemes will continue if the Trinamul remains in power. They (the government at the Centre) have stopped all funds to Bengal. In the last Lok Sabha polls, they lied and won 18 seat but did nothing for Bengal,” Mamata said.

Raising the hand of a beaming Mahua, Mamata asked voters to ensure her return to the Parliament. “She was expelled because she went after them. You must elect her to the Lok Sabha because she will give them a befitting reply and unmask them.” Mamata said. “Remember Trinamul is the only hero, the only party that guarantees to keep its promises.”

She assured the Matua community that no one will lose their citizenship following the implementation of CAA.