Poll body chalked out 7-phase polls to assist BJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday alleged that the Election Commission of India chalked out seven-phase polls to enable Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues to carry out extensive campaigning using the nation's resources.

Addressing a public meeting at Gajol in Malda district, Mamata Banerjee, the party supremo, said polls have been scheduled from April 19 to June 1 so that Modi and his cabinet colleagues can travel on special planes across the country before every phase to "overwhelm the opposition".

"On earlier occasions, elections used to be over by May but this year, it has been extended till June 1 to enable Modi to visit various places on military planes, while we are made to arrange for our own transport, including helicopters, which are also being booked by BJP leaders so that we get little space," she alleged.

Mamata alleged that though the Union council of ministers led by Narendra Modi is a caretaker cabinet after the announcement of elections and the EC is in charge of running the administrative machinery, the poll body is "toeing the line dictated by Modi and his party colleagues".

She accused the BJP of conspiring to engineer riots by spreading fake news and videos on social media.

She claimed that poll surveys telecast on TV channels were "BJP inspired", and asserted that the TMC will get a huge number of seats in the polls.

Meanwhile, India's state-run broadcaster, DD News, has changed the colour of its logo from ruby red to saffron, drawing the ire of the opposition political parties as high-stake elections are underway in the country.

The move by broadcaster Prasar Bharati, the parent organisation that runs DD News, has again raised concerns about the country's shrinking press freedom.

The broadcaster officially unveiled the new logo on Tuesday while attempting to downplay the significance of the move, saying "our values remain the same".

The new saffron logo has sparked outrage among opposition political parties which claim it was an attempt at "saffronising" the country and its important institutions.

The saffron colour has been associated with the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has adopted it as its official colour, using it in party flags, banners, scarfs and attire. The colour also holds religious significance among Hindus.