Bengal Phase 2 poll campaign ends; India dominates global heat list; more

India Today

Campaigning for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections has concluded as 142 constituencies, including Bhabanipur and Panihati, prepare for voting on April 29.

Transcript

00:05Hello and welcome. Let's kick start with some breaking news coming in at this hour.

00:12Curtains are down. The final phase of campaigning is now ending in West Bengal.

00:19And as that happens, Prime Minister Modi has written a heartfelt letter to the people of Bengal.

00:25I quote from that letter to you now. He says,

00:27Every festival of democracy is sacred. I too have had the opportunity to participate in the celebration of Bengal.

00:35He goes on to say,

00:36In the recent days, I had the privilege of presenting before you all the BJP Roadmap for the development of

00:41Bengal.

00:41Now, through this letter, I wish to express my sentiments to every member of the family in Bengal.

00:48He goes on to say that throughout this election, I have experienced a unique energy in Bengal,

00:53despite the intense heat and multitude of rallies.

00:56I did not feel even the slightest fatigue during this election campaign in Bengal.

01:01These rallies and roadshows have fed like a pilgrimage to me.

01:04As I moved amongst the devotees of Maa Kali,

01:07it felt as though Maa Kali herself was continuously infusing me with renewed energy.

01:13Well, that's the message that has come in on social media.

01:21A message which Prime Minister says is for the people of Bengal.

01:27Remember, today was the final phase and the final day of campaigning for phase two of Bengal elections.

01:36It's a closely fought one.

01:39BJP wants to expand its footprint.

01:42Wants to be the ouster of the TMC government, which has been in power for 15 years.

01:47Three terms over there.

01:49And Mamata Banerjee is still the street fighter that she is.

01:52Still enthused with energy, out on the roads, campaigning and fighting for elections.

02:00And also constantly talking about how important these elections are.

02:09In fact, the message from Prime Minister is an audio one, I'm told now.

02:12Let's listen in.

02:13BJP का द्वाँ पिसने के उश्वल्भविशकों लेकर, बंगाल के उजवल भविशकों लेकर,

02:33बंगाल की युवापुडी के उजवल भविशके लेकर,

02:37BJP का जो रोड्मैप है,

02:40उस रोड्मैप के रेखां के,

02:52ुश्राइब

03:14आभार तो व्यक्त करना चाहता ही हूँ, लेकिन अपनी भावनाएं भी व्यक्त कर रहा हूँ

03:23साथियों, इस चुनाव के दोरान मैंने बंगाल में एक अलग ही उर्जा की अनुभूती की है

03:34इतनी गर्मी के बावजूद, इतनी रेलियों के बाद भी मुझे बंगाल के इस चुनाव अभियान में जरा भी ठकान महसुस

03:49नहीं हुई

03:50ये रेलिया, ये रोड़ शो, मैं अनुभू करता था जैसे मेरी एक तिल्थी आत्रा हो रही है

03:59मैं माकाली के भक्तों के बीच जाता था

04:03तो संभवत हा, माकाली भी मुझे निरंतर नई उर्जा से भरती जा रही थी

04:12जब जनवरी दुहजार चोबीस में अयोध्या में राम लला की प्राण प्रतिष्ठा का आयोजन हुआ था

04:22उससे पहले मैंने स्रध्धा पुर्वक ग्यारा दिनों का अनुष्ठान किया था, व्रत किया था

04:34मुझे अनुभव होता है कि उस समय प्रभू स्री राम ने मुझे असीम उर्जा से भर दिया था

04:45इस चुनाव में भी मुझे वही अनुभूती हुई

04:51जैसी किसी देवी देवता के मंदिर में दर्शन के समय होती है

04:57इश्वर रुपी जनता जनादन के दर्शन से मुझे में नव उर्जा का संचार हुआ है

05:06साथियों बंगाल की सभी रेलियों में रोड़ शो में मुझे इतने अपनत्व भरे संदेश और चित्र मिले हैं

05:19कि मैं उन्हें कभी भूला नहीं सकता

05:24रेलियां और रोड़ शो के बाद जब भी पहला मोका मिलता है

05:31मैं रात में बहुत तसली से उन्हें चित्रों को देखता हूँ

05:38आपके प्यार भरे संदेशों को आपके पत्रों को पढ़ता हूँ

05:45और अपना जवाब भी लिखवाता हूँ

05:49युवा हो बैने हो बेटिया हो बुजुर्ग हो हर आयूबर के साथियों

05:58आप में जो नेका जो भाव प्रगट होता है

06:03जिसे मैं देखता हूँ अनुभव करता हूँ

06:07मैं आज कहना चाहता हूँ

06:10यह आपका प्यार यह आपके आशिरवात

06:13मेरे जीवन की असली पूंजी है

06:17साथियों इस चुनाव के दोरान मैंने ये भी देखा

06:22कि बंगाल के युवा हो

06:25महिलाए हो

06:27किसान हो

06:28स्रमीख हो

06:30सभी बंगाल के उजवल भविश के लिए

06:34विक्सिद बंगाल के लिए

06:37कितने अधीर है

06:39कितने आतूर है

06:40बंगाल का युवा

06:43अब आगे बढ़ने के लिए

06:46खुला मैदान चाहता है

06:48हमारी बंगाल की बेटिया

06:51खुला आसमान चाहती है

06:54सुरक्षा चाहती है

07:00। हर परिवार एक ही संकल्प के साथ आगे बढ़ रहा है । और वो संकल्प है अब परिवर्तन करके

07:12ही रहना है । परिवर्तन यह जन जन का संकल्प बन गया है ।

07:20सामा ने मानुवी कह रहा है । भाय बहुत हुआ । अब भाय नहीं अब भरोसा चाहिए । अब भाजपा

07:35चाहिए । साथियों बंगाल की सेवा करना । बंगाल को सुरुप्षित करना यह मेरा दाइत्व है ।

07:46बंगाल के सामने उपस्तित हुई हर चनोती को आउसर में बदलना इन मेरे भाग्य मैं भी है और मेरी जिम्मेदारी

08:00भी है ।

08:02मैं अपनी इस जिम्मेदारी से पीछे नहीं हटूँगा।

08:07मैं आपको भरुसा देता हूँ कि बंगाल में बीजेपी के मुख्यमंत्री के सपद ग्रहन का उत्सव हम सभी मिलकर मनाएंगे।

08:23ये मेरा व्यक्तियत विश्वास नहीं है।

08:26मैंने आपके भीतर इस विश्वास को अनुभव किया है।

08:33मेरे पैरे भाई भेनों प्रथम चरण के मत्दान ने इतिहास रचा है।

08:41अब आपका दाइत्व है कि 29 अप्रिल को जादा से जादा मत्दान करे।

08:50लोग तंत्र के इस मंदिर में विजय की द्वज फैराने का आपके पास बहतरीन अवसर आया है।

09:03हम सभी मिलकर बंगाल को विख्षित बनाएंगे और ये मोदी की गारंटी है।

09:15बस आज इतना ही आपका अपना सेवक नरेंद्र मोदी।

09:22पश्चिम बंगाल के मेरे प्यारे भाईयो और बहनों, आप सब को मेरा नमशकार, लोग तंत्र का हर बहुत सो, बहुत

09:36पवित्र होता है।

09:38मुझे भी बंगाल के इस उत्सो में हिस्सा लेने का आऊसर मिला है।

09:48All right, that was a message that came in from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as Bengal sort of campaigning is

09:55now officially over.

09:57Let me cut across to my colleague Himanshu Mishra, who's joining us for more on this.

10:01Himanshu, the Prime Minister is no longer talking about Jai Shri Ram, he's talking about Durga and Kali.

10:07That's a very clear shift in how BGP approached Bengal this time around,

10:12and perhaps the reason why they're drawing so much confidence that they will end up forming government.

10:27That's a very clear shift.

10:47that I had to do with my own authority,

10:50and I was told that,

10:51in 2014,

10:53I had to experience the first 11 days of Ram Mandir,

10:57and I had to experience it in the 19th.

10:59In this place,

11:00I had to experience it as a church in a devil.

11:05In the Rally of Bengal,

11:07I have never had such a good time.

11:11I have never had such a good time.

11:15I have to experience it.

11:45Thank you very much.

17:53and while the war of words raged the optics war played out just as fiercely prime minister modi

18:02was at kolkata's kalibari temple invoking faith where the shopkeepers offered him a blooming lotus

18:09the pjp's pole symbol

18:20mamata was on the streets buying vegetables and connecting directly with voters

18:32but beneath the last minute campaign violence cast a long shadow

18:37in arambag tmcmp mitali bark's vehicle was attacked allegedly by bjp workers

19:07in murshidabad houses were vandalized

19:11havra witnessed clashes during bjp mp ravikishan's roadshow

19:22south job is paragana crude bombs recovered

19:27the months-long campaign is finally over and now it is over to the voters of bengal

19:32in one of the most intensely fought poll in recent times bureau report india today

19:46all right and in fact to understand this entire bengal story you need to go back in time and get

19:51a bit of context so the next few minutes are very important let me tell you why

19:55now in 2021 the bjp threw everything at west bengal but still the tmc won 123 out of the 142

20:05seats bjp

20:05sees at its best chance to sort of break into tmc's southern bastion and also improve its overall tally

20:11narendra modhi held about 30 plus rallies amit shah did a roadshow almost every other day

20:17the party poached tmc's leaders by a dozen and when the votes were counted

20:24tmc won over 200 seats while bjp despite its best ever performance in the state finished a distinct

20:32second with 77 out of the 294 seats now they got merely 38 percent of the votes and still lost

20:40by a landslide now that defeat was the education what you're watching now in 2026 is the exam

20:50bjp came to bengal in 2021 crying for paribartan or change and their strategy this time is still the

21:01same it is paribartan but of its own strategy so i've got for you four paribartans that bjp has done

21:09in its own political strategy to win this time let's talk about paribartan number one now they have

21:16stopped saying mamata banerji's name in 2021 the bjp's entire campaign was a personal duel maybe

21:24you know with mamata banerji modhi used the elongated mocking phase you'll remember didi

21:29oh didi at rally after rally he said that local papers one like telegraph ran headlines saying

21:36looks like the prime minister speaks like comment maro boy it was memorable it was also a disaster

21:43for the bjp every jibe at didi personally generated more sympathy for her cut to 2026 what's happening

21:52now mamata banerji has essentially vanished from bjp's attack vocabulary the target is now tmc's

22:01national general secretary abhishek banerji amicha's line to quote him from this time around he says

22:07if you vote for tmc again bhaipo meaning nephew will rule here not pamata didi now look at that

22:17statement again even in the attack on the nephew they are careful to distinguish didi the women there

22:25remain you know the main woman of bengal mamata banerji remains untouchable the machine around her

22:33is fair game for bjp which brings me to paribarta number two let's put that up on the screen as

22:40well

22:40for you in 2021 jay shiram was yielded almost as a taunt at the tmc leaders it was bjp's national

22:50idiom loud combative but alien to bengal's sort of syncretic culture this time bjp candidates campaigning

23:00are seen having fish in public fish by hand a saffron clad union minister ate the sorsay

23:09march on camera we'll put those pictures also for you over there right bjp stopped over emphasizing

23:16jay shiram and invoked kali invoked durga instead modi's rally stage if you looked at that carefully

23:24was designed to resemble the dakshaneshwar kali temple and then there was a moment that stopped

23:30convoy and the roadside jhal mudi as we all know it as the stall there he brought the he bought

23:37the

23:38snack insisted on paying soft power bengali power the party consciously trying to shed an outsider tag

23:46through the most bengali thing ever food that's what bjp is doing as paribarta number two but let's

23:55move to paribarta number three the voice that they were looking for tmc's most potent charge against

24:04bjp has always been that you're outsiders you don't understand bengal in 2021 they had no real answer

24:11in 26 that name is spriti irani at a rally in panihati irani addressed the crowd in fluent bengali

24:21she said to be bangla bolte paro amiyo bolte pari amaro dadur bari ina ke meaning basically translation

24:30going on to say that can you speak bangla so can i my grandfather's house is here i am born

24:36in this

24:36country how are we outsiders remember switi rani's mother is bengali the language is in her bones

24:45observers have called her arguably the best orator in bengali from either side of the campaign

24:52and in a state where language is identity this is no small thing but let me come to the most

25:00important factor paribarta number four in bjp strategy this is the boldest play of all

25:09mamata banerji's political fortress is built on women voters the sari clad fighter on street

25:16politician the chief minister who puts cash in their accounts in 2021 bjp had called her schemes

25:25raivadi politics if you'll remember he said this is raivadi politics women in kolkata in fact women

25:31all over bengal did not forgive bjp for that in 2026 what is bjp doing bjp has stopped attacking

25:38tmc's welfare schemes entirely and is insisting in fact instead they're outbidding them pledging double

25:46or more than what the laxmi bhandar currently provides but the shape or and the weapon here

25:53with the bjp's rg car modi has labeled tmc anti-women at a rally after rally reference the

26:01rape and murder case directly and noted that bjp has made the victim's mother a candidate

26:07the subtext is sort of very clear right if mamta brand is the women who protects is the woman

26:15actually who protects other women rg car is the proof that that brand is a lie

26:21so bottom line here bjp came to bengal in 2021 as a conqueror it left as a cautionary tale

26:31what it has built in 2026 is something rarer that is seen in indian politics a party that

26:39looked honestly at its own failures and rebuilt from scratch whether these four paribartans that

26:47i spoke to you about are enough to finally breach didi's fortress well that bengal will answer

26:55on the fourth of may

26:56on the fourth of may

27:00oh didi

27:02oh didi

27:13oh didi

27:15oh didi

27:16oh

27:16thank you

27:18कितना विश्वास किया था बंगार के लोगोंने आप पर अपने था बंगार के लोगों का विश्वास तोड़ दिया

27:31Maa ke leye nari ki surakshah ke leye kuch nahi kiya

27:39Inho ne maati ke leye kisano ke leye kuch nahi kiya

27:47TMC ne yuvao ke leye bhi kuch nahi kiya

27:55Jab batane ke leye kuch nahi hai, to TMC ne ekhi formula apna ya hai

28:05TMC ka formula hai

28:07Gali do, dhamti do, chhoot boro, jor se boro

28:21Alright, what a stark difference in the way the Prime Minister has actually portrayed his entire pitch

28:27And that like settles the debate on how quickly the BJP strategy has changed

28:31And by how much really the real paribartan that has happened within the BJP strategy over there

28:37But let's take this conversation forward with my colleagues who actually went to the ground to understand this

28:41At a much granular level

28:43With me now is Maria Shakil, she was in Bengal not very long ago reporting on it

28:48Also Moshmi who's still there

28:50And also Indrajeet who will be joining us in a while

28:54Maria, let me understand this from you from a BJP's perspective

28:57They understood that they got it horribly wrong when it came to 21

29:01Attacking Mamata Banerjee was just not going to cut it

29:03And the story here is that they learned from their mistake

29:07It is no more Mamata Didi

29:09It is no more Didi o Didi

29:11It is TMC

29:12Yes, it is quintessential BJP

29:14It is no more Jaisi Ram

29:16It is Ma Durga and Ma Kali for them

29:18I would say it is quintessential BJP which learns from its mistakes

29:21It understands what doesn't resonate with the people

29:25And what will not give them electoral dividends

29:28So it does a recourse, draws a map again

29:32That's how BJP has been functioning

29:35And that's what we have seen also in the context of Bengal

29:37Remember Sunil this is an unfinished project of the BJP particularly in eastern part of India

29:43Even as we speak the BJP has managed a chief minister in the state of Bihar

29:48In the neighboring state of Odisha they have a chief minister as well

29:51In the state of Bengal the project began when Home Minister Amit Shah was the BJP chief

29:57That was in 2014

29:59And he, you know, almost crisscrossed the state

30:02Tried to understand pockets

30:04Tried to understand what are the issues

30:06Tried to understand what will resonate with the people of Bengal

30:10We did see the party grow from three seats in 2016 to 77 in 2021

30:16That has been a phenomenal rise

30:18Before that was 2019 looks of our polls

30:21Where the BJP won 18 seats in Bengal

30:24Nobody gave party a chance

30:25They did so

30:26Look at what's happening in Bengal this time around

30:30152 seats have polled already

30:32In the second phase which goes to polls on 29th

30:36There are several pockets which are seen as Mamata Banerjee's fortress

30:39Which is South 24, Parganaz, Kolkata, Bhavda

30:44These are seen as Mamata Banerjee's almost like bastions

30:48Can the BJP make inroads?

30:51What they have done is interesting

30:52They have fielded R.G. Carr victim's mother

30:56Ratna Debnath from Panihati

30:59The message is that this is an issue which is resonating with women of Bengal

31:03So if women have been a captive audience of a woman chief minister for all these 15 years

31:10You know because of Lakhim Bhandar and other schemes

31:14Then the BJP is saying that what about the issue of women's safety and security?

31:19When you speak to the women in urban pockets

31:21They do speak about the issue of women's safety and security

31:24And in several pockets in rural Bengal also

31:28One issue which is resonating is Chakri

31:31Jobs

31:32They are satisfied with 1500 rupees but they want more

31:36Just as any aspirational vote bank

31:38Women of Bengal are also very very aspirational

31:41And that's why the BJP is going all out to reach out to them

31:45Talking about the women of Bengal

31:47Let me go to Moshmi

31:48Moshmi just before the bulletin started

31:50We were playing out your report about the M factor

31:53But today I want to talk to you about a different M factor

31:55The Mahila factor in West Bengal

31:57I was looking at statistics and it is so fascinating

32:00That in every state whenever BJP tried to sort of get in the voters

32:07Get in the Mahila vote together

32:09They managed to make Mahilas one vote bank

32:13They have won in every state except West Bengal

32:17They have not been able to break that fortress

32:19And many said this was the reason why the rush for the women's reservation bill

32:23This is the reason why, you know, Jhaal Moody was offered

32:26And everybody standing around the Prime Minister were all women

32:29This is the push that Prime Minister really wants to make

32:33BJP wants to close in that gap of almost 13% if I'm not wrong

32:37Of the difference between women voting for TMC

32:40And the women voting for the BJP

32:42On ground, are you seeing that push for women actually play a role?

32:53Of course, you know, because it's a very solid vote bank for Mamata Barajee

32:59The BJP has tried all that it can to go the Mahila voters

33:04And this still remains the most decisive factor as far as these elections are concerned

33:09But I'll take that question straight to Indrajit who's joining us

33:13He's been in a marathon coverage, Sonal

33:15And I'm sure he'll be able to put some perspective to the entire Mahila factor

33:20And do you think this time round, that's a volatile vote bank

33:25That could perhaps shrink to the BJP

33:28BJP is wooing of the Mahila vote

33:30Well, Mausumi, you know, the Mahila factor

33:33The Mahila vote will of course play a very, very crucial role

33:37Whichever side it tilts will decide the fate of who forms the government

33:41If you see the first phase, Mahila voting percentage has shrugged the voting percentage of men

33:47It's 94%

33:49So the bumper voting of 93% aside

33:52Women voters have themselves voted 94%

33:56So that's a big number

33:57Which side it goes will decide the fate of who forms the government

34:01Both sides are wooing it

34:03Mamata Barajee of course has some lead

34:05Because over the past five years she has been given all these Mahila centric screens

34:09Like Lakshmir Bhandaar and Kanyashtri

34:11And the BJP wants to snatch some of it with their own scheme

34:16Where they are promising a double

34:18A double

34:191,500 by Trinamul, so they are saying 3,000 by the BJP

34:22Will that have an effect? We don't know

34:24But clearly in West Bengal, whoever forms the government

34:27They need a big sizable chunk of the Mahila vote

34:31So now it's the golden hour, you see, the golden hour when you say that the patient if he is

34:37treated in the hospital

34:39It can actually save his life, his or her life

34:42And this is the golden hour for politicians in fact

34:45You know, because the campaigning is going to close

34:48Behind me, Mamata Barajee could be walking in any time

34:52She is clocking, criss-crossing across four constituencies

34:5614 kilometres of stretch, walking, doing the Padhyatra

35:00And Tejasvi Yadavish just also joined in and we are very next to her house

35:05So a very tough battle here in Bhavanipur for her as well

35:10Well, absolutely, and she is not just campaigning in Bhavanipur, she is campaigning in four constituencies

35:1614 kilometre Padhyatra

35:18Very different from all other leaders in West Bengal who are campaigning right now

35:22All on foot, it can be very, very tiring in this heat

35:25We all journalists know who cover from Bengal

35:27But she decided that this is what gives her the best people's connect

35:3114 kilometres, four constituencies, one and a half hour long campaign

35:36Which will finally culminate near her house

35:38Moshmi, I have a question

35:40Moshmi, I have a question before you go to yours

35:43From Indraji as well, if you can ask

35:46I have seen Mamata Banerji wear a whoop in one hand

35:50An Apple Watch or a Fitbit in one hand

35:52An Aura Ring as well

35:53As a health reporter, I really want to know

35:56How many steps she is clocking in a single day

35:59Does anybody have an idea?

36:01That's a story that you must get out

36:03How many steps does she walk in a single day?

36:11I am sure she is a Padhyatra lady

36:13I'll tell you, she's answered this several times

36:16She says anything between 25,000 to 30,000 steps per day

36:21In fact, she says that she's on the treadmill

36:23And she works while she's on the treadmill

36:25She's also confessed to us several times

36:28That she prepares the budget for the state

36:30While she's walking on the treadmill

36:31Now, I'm in awe of her fitness

36:34She's 72 years old and I keep telling my mom who is 60

36:38That she can't walk the way Mamata Banerji works

36:41Most of us can't

36:42So you can imagine 14 kilometers in this sultry heat

36:46And she is a very old school politician at that

36:49No road shows, no Rathiyatras, only paddle walk

36:52A very pertinent question, Sonal, that also needs to be asked

36:55All right, Pawan will show the views also

36:58Pawan, you can just pan to the entire Padhyatra that's going on

37:04Inderjeet, you know, talking about Mahila voters

37:08There's a safety factor that the BJP has really drummed up

37:11How safe are the women after the RGCOR, Sandesh Khali

37:16All these incidents, you know

37:18Do you think there is a fatigue in the women voters

37:20And perhaps in the city we could see an impact in West Bengal?

37:25There is, you know, an impact of that

37:28Especially RGCOR has had a very, very deep impact

37:32On RGCOR has had a very, very deep impact

37:35On the psyche of women, especially in the city

37:38You know, because it's a government hospital

37:41And such an incident taking place in a government hospital

37:44Is absolutely unprecedented, shocking

37:46That's the reason why we saw hundreds and thousands of women

37:50Coming out on the streets of Kolkata to protest during that time

37:53But we've also had the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

37:56And the Trinamal Congress actually did very well

37:58So there wasn't much of an impact

37:59But now what we can see, and you can see

38:01I will ask, you know, our camera person Pawan to show

38:05If you can zoom in, Mamta Banerjee is right behind us

38:07You can see the white sari, she's rushing towards us right now

38:12And the entire, you know, supporter base would be coming this side

38:15I would like to butt in between

38:16It's only on India today

38:19Sonal, it's only on India today

38:21That we get you the best visuals and the best ground report

38:25Even as the campaign is closing in

38:28You know, it's as lucky and as right

38:30The timing right as you can get

38:32On the ground, getting you the best newsmakers

38:36And the news moments

38:38Capturing it all live and in time

38:41All right, Mashami, Indra, you guys are truly the best

38:45No sort of doubt in saying that

38:47So there you go

38:49Our reporters there putting, drawing the entire campaign

38:52The very heated Bengal campaign to a close

38:54You just heard minutes ago

38:56The message that had come in from the Prime Minister

38:59And now you see Mamta Banerjee on your screen

39:01Doing her last padhyatra of this campaign

39:04Now, the next 24 to 48 hours

39:08Is when there is going to be a silent period

39:1029th is when best Bengal votes

39:12Fourth is when we get the answer

39:18All right, hours before the silent period began

39:21And campaigning for the second phase sort of concluded

39:24Came images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

39:25Offering prayers at a revered Kolkata Kalibari

39:29But let me explain the subtle messaging

39:32Behind this visit as well

39:33Prime Minister Modi was seen sort of buying

39:36Lotus garlands from the local vendor

39:38Outside the temple

39:39Now you all get the message there, right?

39:41Lotus is blooming is what he wants to say

39:43And, but it does not end there

39:46Because this Kalibari is one of the very few places

39:50Where the goddess is non-vegetarian

39:53And is offered a prasad

39:55Which is also non-vegetarian

39:57The temple is famous for its unique non-vegetarian prasad

40:01It's called Daap Chingri

40:03Or shrimp with coconut, as it's called

40:05Now, this visit actually counters TMC's projection of BJP

40:10As the North India Hindutva Party

40:12Sort of steeped into vegetarianism as well

40:15Remember all those campaign slogans that had come out

40:17And in this election, TMC has been alleging

40:20That if elected to office, BJP will seek to curb

40:23Bengal's meat-eating food habits

40:25And will push the culture of North India

40:27To Bengal where non-vegetarian

40:31North India, you know, where sometimes non-vegetarian is frowned upon

40:34Now, BJP has been working to sort of crush that narrative

40:37And again, trying to seep into the local Bengali flavor there

40:41Even BJP stopped guns, including MP Anurag Thakur

40:45Shared pictures of eating maach bhaat or fish and rice

40:49To dispel TMC's charge

40:51Prime Minister Modi, who's a vegetarian

40:52Visiting the temple where non-vegetarian is offered as a prasad again

40:56To feed into that narrative

40:58And again, like we said

41:00This is an election where every queue is important

41:04Every visit is important

41:05Every word, every mention of Didi

41:08All of that plays a role

41:11Like we said

41:12This is what will play a huge role

41:15In how elections pan out in the state of West Bengal

41:21And this is where they are

41:26ुपाम्त्लि उत्पादन तेजी से बढ़ रहा है देश में फीस्ट प्रोडक्शन स्रिम्प प्रोडक्शन इतना बढ़ा तो इसमें बड़ी भुमिका पी

41:44-ेम मत्य संपदा स्कीम की है

41:48इसकीम में क्योंकि पी-ेम शब्दा आता है यहंकारी टी-ेम सी को पसंद नहीं है

41:57विजेपी राज्ये माच खाओ जाबे ना मंग्शो खाओ जाबे ना डिम खाओ जाबे ना सब कोड़ दिये चे बंदो

42:09बीजेपी चायना एजे माचेर वेड़ी ते माच खाओ जाबे ना डिम खाओ जाबे न खाओ जाबे न खाओ जाबे ना

42:21All right, more updates coming in from West Bengal, this time a statement by Home Minister Amit Shah

42:26He is a big assurance to Bengal voters, he goes on to say and I quote him now, don't worry

42:31about DB's goons

42:32Central Forces deployed to tackle TMC goons, BJP government is coming in Bengal, Central Forces

42:38are here for the next 60 days, he says, that's interesting, 60 days, not just till the time of

42:44when the elections are announced and when new government is formed, he says 60 days, that's

42:50where in about two months the Central Forces will stay in the state of West Bengal, a lot is brewing

42:55in this very very feisty election, that's what Bengal elections are all about, a lot is at stake

43:04Mamata Banerjee's government completes three terms, she's looking for a fourth one, BJP is trying to

43:09finally, you know, make and form government there, let's see what exactly happens here, all of this

43:14is happening in the shadow of SIR, remember, let's not forget that, huge, huge factor when it comes

43:20to West Bengal, so those are the big battleground updates coming to us from the state of West

43:27Bengal time, we are cooked, you've probably heard the Gen Z use this phrase, when things go wrong,

43:33but right now, it's not just a phrase, it is the reality, let me explain why, now behind me, you

43:39see

43:39this world map, and you see India over here in a complete red, New Delhi at 39, Prayagraj at 41,

43:48Kota at 41,

43:49Ahmedabad 42, Hyderabad 37, Bengaluru 35, Raipur 36 as well, now, while I say this, let me explain to you

43:58why this is such a struggle, because it's not just an India story, 95 of the world's 100 hottest cities

44:07are now only in India, let me show you, if I zoom out of this map, and I show you

44:14the world,

44:15do you see this concentration of the red, do you see what's happening, in other places, even like

44:21Sudan, and even in Algeria, even Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, all of them as well, even in Madagascar,

44:27you don't see this concentration of heat, how you see in India, what does this mean, also, remember,

44:34when it comes to these, when it comes to India, the top five hottest cities in the world are also

44:43in India, in fact, they're all in UP, so let's try and understand what's happening here, and to get out

44:51of the numbers, but actually feel the heat on the ground, let's cut across to our reporters, joining me

44:55is now Shivani Sharma from the National Capital, Ankit Sharma joins us from Deiradoon, and also Meer

45:01Farid is here from Srinagar, Meer is the only one smiling over there, rest of us are just cooked

45:05as we say it, but let me start with Shivani, Shivani, like we said, whether it is Delhi NCR,

45:11in Noida at least, we've got advisories of schools shutting down early come in, it's not even May,

45:19it feels like June in April, is that how the government is prepping up, what exactly are the

45:24measures to actually fight this heat stroke?

45:31Sonal, Delhi is seeing a changed weather pattern, a weather cycle, and this time it seems that the

45:37summers have arrived quite early, and the Delhi government has a plan for it, it has an advisory

45:43for the schools, it has additional water points, and also there are some restrictions on the outdoor

45:50workers between 12 to 3, so there are certain measures that are being taken up by the Delhi

45:57government, because this is an unprecedented wave of heat, even if I talk about the highest

46:02temperatures today in the national capital, it was around 43 in some pockets, and it will

46:07continue to be so, and the med department has said that in the coming days there can be some

46:14respite after a dust storm, and some rains out here.

46:18In fact, we were showing you visuals over there of how exactly Delhi government is planning

46:21to combat it, they've made tubs etc available in the hospitals for people to go, and sort

46:26of, you know, those shots, where people are asked if you are getting a heat stroke, that's

46:30how the tackling team of Delhi government has actually thought of it.

46:34Also with me is Ankit Sharma, Ankit in Dehradun, schools have been advised to go online because

46:39of the heat?

46:42Yeah, as per today's information shared by the DM of Dehradun, in lieu of the heat wave

46:49conditions, the schools were asked to cut today, however for tomorrow, the information and notification

46:56has not been shared yet.

46:58And let me tell you that the average temperature, even talking about today's latest update, the

47:05average temperature is 5 degrees more than what it should be like, it is touching almost

47:1140 degrees Celsius in Dehradun in the month of April, where it should have been 34 or 35.

47:18And looking at the whole atmospheric change, or whether we call it climate change, this has

47:24really changed from when Uttarakhand was formed to today's time, and due to urbanization and

47:30several factors, weather traffic.

47:32Sure.

47:32And you know the outcome of that is what, and Mir is here, Mir you are the only one smiling,

47:37because while all of us get really cooked, you are the only one who gets to enjoy slightly

47:43better weather.

47:44I want all our viewers to also know this, that did you know that increase in heat is actually

47:49linked to different diseases, mental health, kidney and also your heart.

47:53So, Mir, you are definitely living longer than all of us.

48:01Well, absolutely.

48:02And in fact, weather is pleasant here, and I am sure you will definitely be nervous about

48:08it.

48:08But the fact is, the weather is good.

48:10It's pleasant in Kashmir.

48:11The last 5-6 days, we haven't seen a lot of sun.

48:14It's cloudy, and next 5-6 days also, it's going to be more of a stormy weather.

48:20So, it means that temperatures are going to stay well below 25.

48:24So, that's a change.

48:26I mean, if that brings you some kind of relief from Kashmir, that at least one place in the

48:32country is cool, it's pleasant, and it is inviting people to come over and spend their

48:37time, run away from this blistering heat.

48:40Alright, Mir is inviting everybody to come over.

48:42I'm going to take the request to our bosses as well and see how that goes.

48:45For the moment, thank you all for joining us and giving us an update on how cooked the

48:49city really is.

48:50We will again leave you with these visuals to understand how hot it is.

48:54Here's an advisory to everybody.

48:56If you're out there, please carry your water bottle.

48:58Do not wait to feel thirsty because by that time you're already dehydrated.

49:02Keep sipping water, carry your electrolytes, and as always, stay safe.

49:06We'll see you tomorrow.

49:07Bye-bye.

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