July 05, 2026 09:49 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'Why can't citizens protest against the government? They are being made slaves by slapping cases': Bombay HC slams Mumbai Police, quashes activist's externment | 'First he cheats on me...': Siya Goyal's old pub video goes viral amid probe into fiancé Ketan Agarwal's alleged murder | Ronaldo's goal, Ramos' last-gasp winner send Portugal past Croatia, set up Spain clash | India-US trade deal almost done! Piyush Goyal hints at breakthrough | Ram Mandir donation scam: Champat Rai points finger at his own driver | PM Modi welcomes Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi as India-Japan ties enter a new era | 'Not an isolated incident': India slams Pakistan after 125-year-old historic Gurdwara is demolished | Ram Mandir donation theft: Six accused were employed by Varanasi-based security firm, probe reveals | Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft: Probe says majority of money was allegedly stolen during Kumbh Mela | Commercial LPG price slashed by Rs 183.50 from July 1; check new rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai
Bengal polls
Image Credit: Smriti Irani's Facebook page

After Mamata Banerjee's show, Smriti Irani rides scooter in Bengal

| @indiablooms | Feb 27, 2021, at 04:06 am

Kolkata/IBNS: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's show as a pillion rider on an electric two-wheeler to protest against the fuel price hike, Union Minister Smriti Z Irani was seen riding a scooter in the alleys of suburban Kolkata as a part of Bharatiya Janata Party's motorcycle rally on Friday.

Smriti Irani visited Bengal as a part of campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls in the state where the BJP is making an attempt to come to power.

The Union Minister for Textiles took part in the bike rally in Baruipur-Sonarpur area in the South 24 Parganas district, which is a Trinamool Congress (TMC) stronghold.

The rally, part of the BJP's state-wide "Poriborton Yatra", was led by Irani along with BJP MP Roopa Ganguly and Agnimitra Paul.

They began the campaign in Gangajoara near Garia on the party's "rath" - a bus decked up with slogans and photos of BJP leaders.

After covering a short distance, the minister got down from the ''rath'' and started riding a scooter, wearing a black helmet.

She had to make occasional stops as fervent supporters gathered, almost choking the narrow road.

"I feel happy to be a part of the campaign by the BJP workers in Bengal. Today I participated in a 'poriborton yatra' (a rally for change) in Bengal's South 24 Parganas," Irani wrote in Bengali in a Twitter post sharing glimpses of her scooter ride.

This comes after Mamata Banerjee on Thursday travelled in an electric two-wheeler to her office Nabanna in a symbolic protest against the fuel price hike.

Banerjee was seen sitting in the backseat of an electric scooty which was driven by her colleague in the government, Firhad Hakim.

The new methods of campaigning come as West Bengal gears up to go for an eight-phase Assembly Election starting March 27.

West Bengal will vote in eight phases on Mar 27, Apr 1, 6, 10,17,22,26,29.

Besides Bengal, elections will also be held in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.