Jaya Bachchan lauds Mamata, says no one has been able to intimidate people of Bengal

Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan on Monday heaped praise on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying she is "fighting against all atrocities" and her rivals have not been able to break her resolve "to make Bengal the best in the world".

Addressing a press conference here, Bachchan said no one "had been successful in intimidating and threatening Bengalis".

The actor-turned-politician said she had come to the state to extend support to Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal elections on behalf of her party.

"My name was earlier Jaya Bhaduri. My father is Tarun Kumar Bhaduri. We are migrant Bengalis. My party leader Akhilesh Yadav has asked me to come here to give my support to TMC. I have the utmost love and respect for Mamataji, a single woman fighting against all atrocities," she said.

"She is a single woman fighting against all atrocities. Head broken, leg broken, but they have not been able to break her heart and her brain, and her determination to move ahead and make Bengal the best in the world," she added.

The Samajwadi Party MP was felicitated by other TMC leaders including Dola Sen during the presser.

"Do not hijack my religion from me. Do not hijack my democracy and my democratic rights from me and when I say me, I represent all the people. And that is why I am here because Mamata Banerjee is fighting, struggling, a single lady, to preserve the democratic right of every individual of Bengal and Bengal thinks and does much before the rest of the country," Bachchan said.

Reciting a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, she expressed confidence in Mamata Banerjee's ability to bring in development in the state.

Jaya Bachchan's press conference came a day before the third round of assembly polls in the state.

The polls are witnessing a fierce contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP and Sanjuka Morcha comprising Left parties, Congress and ISF.

Counting of votes will take place on May 2 after an eight-phased poll in the state.

( With inputs from ANI )