40 MLAs of Didi in touch with me

Sreerampur/ Barrackpore: Making a sensational claim in the middle of the general election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said 40 TMC MLAs were in touch with him and will desert their party once the BJP wins the poll.

The TMC leadership was quick to hit back, accusing Modi of horse trading, and saying it would complain to the Election Commission about it.

On the campaign trail in West Bengal's Sreerampur Lok Sabha seat in Hoogly district and Barrackpore constituency in North 24 Parganas, Modi accused TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee of nepotism, insisting she wants to politically establish her nephew in West Bengal.

Modi also assailed her over her prime ministerial ambitions, saying "Didi, Dilli door hai (Delhi is far away)."

"Didi, even your MLAs will desert you when the results of this election are out.

Your 40 MLAs are in touch with me and all your MLAs will desert you once the BJP wins the election.

Political ground has slipped from under your feet," Modi told an election rally in Sreerampur, targeting the West Bengal chief minister.

TMC group leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O' Brien was quick to allege that Modi was indulging in horse-trading. "Expiry Babu PM, let's get this straight.

Nobody will go with you. Not even one councillor. Are you election campaigning or horse trading! Your expiry date is near.

Today, we are complaining to the Election Commission. Charging you with horse trading," O'Brien tweeted.

Mocking Banerjee for often losing her cool as she was "sensing defeat", Modi said she cannot even dream of becoming the prime minister.

"With just a handful of seats, 'Didi' you can't reach Delhi. Delhi is far away. Going to Delhi is just an excuse. Her real intention is to politically establish her nephew," he said.

Banerjee's nephew Abhishek is a sitting MP from Diamond Harbour and the TMC candidate for the seat.

Modi alleged that TMC "goons" were trying to prevent people from voting and attacking BJP workers. He claimed BJP leaders were not being allowed to campaign freely.

"Mamata didi your army of goons is trying to stop the people from casting their votes. Mamata didi, democracy offered you the position you occupy now.

Don't betray democracy. The people of West Bengal have made up their mind," he said, claiming that across Bengal there is a desire to defeat the TMC.

The prime minister's remarks came in the wake of reports of violence during the fourth phase of polling in eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

Giving the slogan of "Chup Chap, BJP te chhap" (cast your vote silently for the BJP), Modi took a dig at Banerjee for her comments that the people of Bengal will, instead of votes, offer him rosogollas made of clay with stones inside.

"It will be like 'prasad' for me. I will be honoured to have rosogollas that are made of the soil of the sacred land of Bengal.

The land of Ram Krishna Pramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore," he said.

Citing Banerjee, Modi said he would also be happy to have the stones that the West Bengal leader said would be inside the clay rosogollas as it will bring down the number of stones being used by "Mamatadi's goons" to attack people.

Miffed over Modi's disclosure during a televised interview that she gifts him kurtas and sweets every year, a combative Banerjee had said last week that the people of Bengal will offer him rosogollas made of clay with stone fillings instead of votes that will break all his teeth.