West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Election Commission of India's model code of conduct by addressing people at the Matua community at Orakandi in Bangladesh and trying to influence voters in the assembly polls in the state and Assam.  

"Elections are underway here and he [PM] goes to Bangladesh and lectures on Bengal. It is a total violation of code of conduct of the election," Mamata told an election rally in Kharagpur.

The first phase of polling in West Bengal and Assam was held yesterday.

Mamata recalled that when Bangladeshi actor Ghazi Abdul Noor had attended a rally organized by her party Trinamool Congress during 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he was served a 'Leave India' notice for violation of the poll code of conduct.

"In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when a Bangladeshi actor attended our rally, the BJP spoke to the Bangladesh government and cancelled his visa. When polls are underway here, you [PM] go to Bangladesh to seek votes from one section of people, why shouldn't your visa be cancelled? We will complain to the EC," she said.

Mamata said "sometimes they (BJP) say Mamata has brought people from Bangladesh and aided in infiltration. But he [PM] himself goes to Bangladesh for vote marketing."

Her remarks came on a day when Modi, as part of his visit to Bangladesh, visited Orakandi village to pay tributes to the founder of the Matua community, Harichand Thakur.

On meeting the community, he said he felt the same emotions as felt by Matua community members in India.

Orakandi in Gopalganj district is the birthplace of Matua community's spiritual guru Harichand Thakur.

Many members of Matua community have settled in West Bengal and is a key segment of its electorate. It is seen as swaying the outcome of polling in at least 27 constituencies.

He also promised to make it easier for people from India to visit Orakandi and announced that his government will upgrade a girls' school and set up a primary school in the area.

West Bengal is holding elections in a record eight phases starting Saturday in a contest that has seen the BJP pull out all stops, including poaching a large number of Trinamool leaders, to unseat the two-time CMr. Votes will be counted on May 2.