Mamata Banerjee to file nomination, Trivendra Singh Rawat resigns; more

Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday declared herself "a Hindu girl". This came as she tried to counter the BJP's charge of Muslim appeasement in a state where the minority community comprise around 30 per cent of the total voters. Mamata Banerjee recited Sanskrit mantras from Chandipath, a very popular book of hymns dedicated to Goddess Durga at Nandigram, from where she is contesting the Bengal polls.

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress won more seats compared to the BJP in the Lok Sabha election - 22 to 18 - but a perception emerged of the BJP getting better of the TMC in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee looked for a course-correction. Among other things, the TMC roped in election strategist Prashant Kishor for the 2021 Bengal Assembly polls.