Just ten days before the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has struck a massive blow by arresting Vinesh Chandel, the Director and Co-founder of I-PAC. Chandel has been taken into custody in connection with money laundering allegations related to the high-profile coal smuggling case, sparking a massive political slugfest.

The 2024 battle has narrowed down to a direct face-off between the two biggest icons. While Mamata Banerjee has long maintained that she is the candidate for all 294 seats, PM Narendra Modi’s campaign is now echoing a similar sentiment, projecting him as the singular face of the BJP.

The ‘Battle of the Wallet’ is also at its peak. To counter TMC’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ which provides ₹1500 to women, the BJP has promised ₹3000 monthly in its ‘Sankalp Patra’. This financial tug-of-war has become a primary talking point among voters.

Adding fuel to the fire, Home Minister Amit Shah, during a rally in Birbhum, launched a blistering attack on the TMC, stating that “syndicate members will be hung upside down and straightened” if BJP comes to power. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit back instantly, accusing BJP leaders of running extortion rackets themselves. With the ED’s intervention and aggressive rhetoric, the Bengal elections have reached a fever pitch.