I am a Bengal tigress, will break but won't bend: Mamata Banerjee

Lashing out against the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the fourth phase of the West Bengal elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she is a 'Bengal tigress', who will not bend in front of BJP's attacks.

Speaking at a public gathering in Cooch Behar, Banerjee said: "They (BJP) will bring goons from Assam. They will explode bombs and threaten people. Do not be afraid. They do not want our mothers and sisters to vote. Central forces are blocking ur mothers and sisters from voting."

She claimed that if the BJP comes to power in the state, they will build detention camps like in Assam. "They have kept 14 lakh Bengalis in detention camps, who have no future. We are fighting for those poor people. They were not even voting, police made raids on them."

"BJP cannot do anything to me with their money. I am a Bengal tigress, I break but I do not bend," she further remarked.

Banerjee appealed to the people to vote for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) if they did not want to see "Gujaratis capturing Bengal". She also raised slogans such as 'BJP hatao' and 'BJP ke chai na' (We do not want BJP).

"We will not let Gujaratis capture Bengal. Bengal will stay in Bengal, we will not let goons from Gujarat take over Bengal," she said.

West Bengal has witnessed three out of the eight phased polls so far to the 294-member state Assembly. Counting of votes will be held on May 2.

The fourth phase of the elections is set to commence on April 10. A total of 373 candidates will contest for 44 constituencies in the upcoming phase, which will encompass five districts of West Bengal - Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.

( With inputs from ANI )