New Delhi: With the Assembly election in West Bengal approaching, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence that it will unseat the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in the state.
Several senior BJP leaders said the party is expecting a strong performance in the upcoming two-phase West Bengal Assembly polls scheduled to be held on April 23 and April 29. The results will be announced on May 4.
Speaking to reporters, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed confidence about a major political shift in the state.
He said: “The people of Bengal have made up their minds to change the incumbent government led by Mamata Banerjee. There is a lot of atrocity, a lot of corruption, and a lot of nepotism. The people of Bengal have decided to oust Mamata Banerjee from power.”
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also said that the BJP would come to power in the state.
“BJP will come to power in West Bengal this time because people are fed up with the Trinamool Congress,” he said.
BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana told IANS that people in the state have decided to bring about political change.
“The people of Bengal have made up their minds. The Trinamool Congress government is siding with infiltrators, while the youth of the country stand with the nation. They want to build a developed India and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed that the BJP is steadily gaining ground in West Bengal.
“In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress is lagging while the BJP is gaining ground. Trinamool is unsettled by the environment in the state that favours the BJP. Our party workers are also being attacked. Trinamool Congress is misusing its power. The state’s law and order has also gone for a toss,” Maurya said.
Maurya alleged that the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal is giving shelter to infiltrators.
“The people of West Bengal will respond to all this. The Lotus will bloom in Bengal,” he added.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh accused the Trinamool Congress government of turning into a “government of goons”.
“It’s no longer a democratic government. It is depending on goons, government officials and police. It has politicised even the police,” he told IANS.
He further said, “For the people of West Bengal, it’s a do-or-die situation. This time Bengal needs to be saved, otherwise Hindus will migrate from the state.”
Singh also alleged that if the Mamata Banerjee government returns to power, it would turn the state into “another Bangladesh”.
Referring to the raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on I-PAC and Banerjee’s stand on the matter, he said, “Everyone saw how she was running away with the files.”
Singh also alleged that the West Bengal Chief Minister never talks about unemployment or development issues in the state.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the election schedule for four states and one Union Territory while outlining measures to ensure free, fair and transparent Assembly elections.
Apart from West Bengal, Assam and Kerala will vote in a single phase on April 9. The Union Territory of Puducherry will also go to the polls on April 9, while Tamil Nadu will vote for all 234 Assembly seats in a single phase on April 23.
The results of all the Assembly elections will be announced on May 4.
(IANS)
