Prominent leaders of the BJP who campaigned in north Bengal on Sunday accused the Trinamool Congress of halting the passage of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament.

Anti-BJP parties had alleged that the BJP wanted to pass the delimitation bill in the garb of the women's reservation bill.

Union health minister J.P. Nadda, BJP’s national president Nitin Nabin, and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma campaigned on Sunday in the region that votes on Thursday.

“Trinamool, the Congress and some other parties opposed the women’s reservation bill. Mamata Banerjee infringed upon the rights of women by opposing the bill which would have ensured 33 per cent reservation of women in the Lok Sabha,” Nadda told the crowd at Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar. “In Bengal, women feel insecure...."

Nabin, who led a road show in Balurghat and spoke at a public meeting in Malda's Ratua, was equally vocal.

“Trinamool stopped the passage of the bill, but this time, Bengal's women will vote against Trinamool. When any woman is tortured in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee stays silent, but rushes to the Supreme Court to save Bangladeshi infiltrators,” said Nabin.

Actor and BJP MP Kangna Ranaut waves at people during a road show in Raiganj town on Sunday. Picture by Kousik Sen

He accused Trinamool of turning some clubs into “tolabaji (extortion)" hubs and claimed that under the BJP's rule, clubs would only work for socio-cultural uplift.

Nabin also referred to erosion, a perennial problem for thousands in Malda. “In Malda, river erosion is a major issue, and the state does nothing. In Bihar, extensive anti-erosion work is being carried out, and people near the rivers are no longer perturbed,” he claimed.

Nadda, who joined a road show in Siliguri in support of Sikha Chatterjee, the BJP candidate for the Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly seat, spoke at a meeting when the road show ended.

“Appeasement, tolabaji, cut money, syndicate operations, sand theft, and coal scams — all forms of corruption have angered the people of Bengal. Common people are living in fear due to threats from the Mamata-led government and have decided to say goodbye to it,” Nadda said.

Himanta addressed public meetings in Madarihat, Alipurduar, and near Jalpaiguri town on Sunday. He accused Trinamool of running the state through intimidation. “Trinamool is operating like a mafia with police help. Their leaders will flee after defeat,” he claimed. He claimed infiltration from Bangladesh increased under Trinamool rule due to an "understanding" between infiltrators and Trinamool.