00:00You're watching To The Point on India Today.
00:03Now, shifting focus to the state of Bengal,
00:06the political temperatures in the state rapidly rising
00:08with a high-stake battle playing out on both sides of the political divide,
00:13BJP and the TMC.
00:15From Nandi Graham's prestige contest
00:17to a fresh political flashpoint over food politics,
00:21lots went down in West Bengal.
00:30The Bengal battle is no more simmering.
00:32It is exploding.
00:35And leading the charge from Nandi Graham is Subendu Adhikari,
00:39the giant slayer,
00:40filing his nomination and turning up the heat on Mamata Banerji.
01:00But the campaign has now shifted from politics to a cultural flashpoint.
01:04Chief Minister Mamata Banerji has triggered a fresh controversy,
01:08claiming that non-vegetarian food could be under threat
01:11if the BJP comes to power.
01:13The BJP is not going to eat meat,
01:17not going to eat meat,
01:18but not going to eat meat.
01:20And what do you do?
01:24What do you do?
01:25Do you do it?
01:26Do you do it?
01:27Do you do it?
01:30The BJP has hit back sharply,
01:32dismissing the remarks as fear-mongering.
01:35Subendu Ji is strong.
01:38It is not Subendu Ji.
01:40This time, there will be a force in Bengal.
01:44There is a lot of anger on the people of the Shasana.
01:48Even as the war awards intensifies,
01:51the BJP is escalating the battle beyond Bengal.
01:54A delegation led by Kiran Rijiju
01:56met the election commission in Delhi,
01:58alleging violence and voter intimidation by the TMC leadership.
02:03The political fight is also turning into a full-blown charge sheet war.
02:09The BJP has accused the TMC of corruption,
02:12infiltration politics and fostering a climate of fear.
02:15The TMC has hit back,
02:18accusing the BJP of diversion and politicizing national security
02:22while flagging its own counter-charges against the centre.
02:26This is the 4-seat of the 3-seat,
02:28and the 3-seat of the 3-seat of Congress is a 4-seat.
02:34But I believe that Bengal people have added
02:39to the government of Mamta Benerjee's government,
02:41which the 4-seat of the 4-seat,
02:42which the 3-seat of the 2-seat party is giving.
02:54With identity, governance and narrative control at stake, this is no longer just an election.
03:00It is a political battle that is only getting sharper.
03:04The Bengal election is far turning into a no-holds-barred contest.
03:09Bureau Report, India Today.
03:18All right, lots going on where West Bengal is concerned in terms of the bureaucracy that is being removed as
03:23per Mamata Banuji at the behest of the Centre and the BJP.
03:27The Deputy CEO West Bengal, Subrata Pal, WBCS officer, has now been removed by the Election Commissioner.
03:34Rahul Nath appointed as the new Joint CEO West Bengal.
03:38A major reshuffle has been taking place where the bureaucracy in West Bengal is concerned.
03:42Other senior officials in the office of CEO has also been transferred.
03:47TMC workers have started now protesting outside the CEO office.
03:51Massive slogan airing against the ECBJP over name deletions as well, where the SIR list is concerned.
03:58Joining me for more, my colleague Indrajit Kundu.
04:01Indra, what more can you add to this?
04:04Well, Sreeti, you know, late evening drama, in fact, in Kolkata right now, even as we speak,
04:09Abhishek Banerjee has led a delegation of Srinamul Congress leaders inside the Chief Electoral Officer's office,
04:15and he's holding deliberations with the CEO Manoj Agarwal.
04:18But very, very serious allegations.
04:21Even as I speak, I can see Srinamul Congress workers raising slogans.
04:25They are waiting really outside for Abhishek Banerjee to come out.
04:28He will come out anytime sooner, across the media.
04:30But very, very serious allegations level.
04:32The Srinamul Congress now alleging that mass additions are being done illegally using Form 6
04:39at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
04:43This at a time when today, the Deputy CEO of West Bengal has been shunted out,
04:48along with three other officers at the CEO's office itself.
04:52So dramatic developments taking place, apart from the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary,
04:57you know, the top police officers in West Bengal, top police OCs and ICs of various police stations
05:04across West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police Boyz teams,
05:06that even officers within the Chief Electoral Office, that is within the Election Commission,
05:12they are also being shunted out.
05:13There seems to be a trust deficit as far as officers in West Bengal are concerned.
05:18Don't know specific reason has been cited so far.
05:21But the Srinamul Congress on its part is upping the ante,
05:24saying that illegal activities are taking place inside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
05:30And therefore, even when campaign is on full swing,
05:33Abhishek Banerjee has returned from campaign from the district,
05:36and he is straight walked into the CEO's office,
05:38even after a Srinamul worker is outside the office,
05:42gloganating and protesting.
05:43All right, a face-off building up right outside the CEO's office.
05:47Abhishek Banerjee has gone inside.
05:48He'll be out anytime.
05:49You're going to cut across to that reaction that will be coming in.
05:52A pitch to battle viewers that is being fought in West Bengal,
05:56even though West Bengal goes to polls in a two-faced election on the 23rd and the 29th.
06:01There's still a fair amount of time.
06:02But let's shift focus right now to Tamil Nadu as well.
06:05Tamil Nadu's pole battle heating up as M.K. Stalin and Vijay have filed nominations
06:10with massive show of strength, setting the stage for a high-voltage three-way contest.
06:30Tamil Nadu is bracing for a high-stakes three-way political showdown.
06:37And today, the battle lines are drawn with a striking show of strength on the ground.
06:54M.K. Stalin, a three-time winner from Kolathur, filed his nomination amid a massive show of
07:00strength on his home turf.
07:12Having held a seat since 2011, Stalin's grip here is unmistakable.
07:19But this time, the battle is tighter.
07:23A three-cornered contest with AIA DMK's P. Sanathan Krishnan and TVK's V.S. Babu
07:29stepping in to challenge the incumbent.
07:32The sea of supporters backing Stalin underscores the fortress he has built.
07:39One, a seasoned political heavyweight.
07:42The other, a superstar-turned-politician.
07:46Both commanding massive crowds.
07:49Both filing their nominations today.
07:54TVK chief Vijay filed his nomination from Perambur in Chinnai, one of the two seats he's contesting,
08:00directly challenging the DMK stronghold.
08:04What followed was nothing short of a spectacle.
08:09Jubilant crowds, swelling numbers and a frenzy for just one glimpse.
08:17And Vijay delivered, unleashing a blistering attack, calling the DMK an evil force.
08:48From Perambur, Vijay's roadshow rolled into Kolathur.
08:52The political fortress of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
09:01A bowl entry into the lion's den.
09:04Already buzzing with energy since morning.
09:10But the big question, can Vijay's momentum reach it?
09:13Vijay!
09:14Vijay!
09:16Vijay!
09:16Vijay!
09:17Vijay!
09:17Vijay!
09:18Vijay!
09:20Vijay!
09:24Vijay!
09:26Vijay!
09:31Vijay!
09:32Vijay!
09:32Vijay!
09:33Vijay!
09:34навер единst
09:34heed! Vijay!
09:40Vijay!
09:40Vijay!ksen
09:43vehementate!
09:44Vijay! Vijay!
09:44Pr median!
09:45Vijay!
09:45Vijay!
09:46Vijay!
09:50Vijay!
09:50swing toward the promise of change under Vijay or stick with the DMK's narrative of continuity
09:57and Dravidian legacy? With Anaka Keshav and Pramod Madhav, Bureau Report, India Today.
10:08As election fever peaks, we're going to continue to get you the latest on the election-bound
10:13states, but let's shift focus to the anti-war protests taking place in America. We're going
10:17to leave you with these visuals and the reactions coming in from America. Huge crowds of protesters
10:22rallied across the United States against President Donald Trump, wenting their fury over what they see
10:29as his authoritarian style of governing, his hardline immigration policies and the war with Iran.
10:36As per organizers, at least 8 million people gathered at more than 3,300 sites, all 50 states
10:44in America. In New York, America's most populous city, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied
10:50with the placard of No Kings, an anti-war protest against Trump. Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro,
10:59a frequent Trump critic, called President Trump a clown.
11:07Stopped. And that's what No Kings is all about, because he can't do all the things that he's been doing
11:15without the collusion of Congress and the goons in his administration. They're bound to him by fear of losing
11:23their own jobs, their own power. It's diabolical. Look at the power of the No Kings national uprising. Afraid
11:32of Trump? Please. No, they should be more afraid of us. Because we still believe in the core American
11:41values of justice, equality, decency, and kindness. Because we're going from the streets to the ballot box,
11:49because we all deserve a country with no kings, no Trump.
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