The upcoming general election will pave the way for Trinamul’s eventual ouster from power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Saturday, his fourth rally in Bengal in nine days signalling the state’s importance to his political ambitions.
Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee government of corruption and of depriving the state of development and welfare.
“The time has come to remove the TMC, which is anti-poor and anti-people, from power. The Lok Sabha elections this time will open the door to overthrowing TMC from power here,” he told a rally of 1.5 lakh people at Kawakhali on Siliguri’s outskirts.
“That is why, we need all the (eight) seats in north Bengal. The lotus should bloom at every polling booth in this region.”
Modi’s list of charges against Trinamul included:
- Siphoning of central funds for the 100 days’ job scheme by issuing 25 lakh fake job cards.
- Looting of food grains meant for free distribution.
- Blocking the introduction of Ayushman Bharat, the Centre’s free health insurance scheme.
- Preventing the Centre from providing free LPG connections to women under the Ujjwala scheme.
Modi also invoked Sandeshkhali — the other key BJP poll plank in Bengal — accusing Trinamul of bringing Bengal into disrepute.
“People across India are speaking about the atrocities unleashed in Sandeshkhali. Poor people, including women from Dalit and tribal communities, were tortured. The TMC is an anti-woman party,” the Prime Minister said.
He also spoke on his pet theme of “dynastic politics”.
“In Bengal, Trinamul leaders are not concerned about the common people; they want to be in power in the interest of their families,” he said.
“While Trinamul is working in the interests of a nephew, the Congress is working in the interests of an heir to a shahi (royal) family,” he added, alluding to Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
“I don’t have to leave cash, bungalows or cars to anybody like them,” Modi said.
The BJP has a better organisational presence in north Bengal compared with the south. This was amply clear in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2021 Assembly
elections, with the party bagging seven of the eight Lok Sabha seats in the region and 30 of the 54 Assembly seats, respectively.
While the BJP claims it will improve on the 2019 performance and win all the eight seats, multiple party sources said in private that Trinamul had made significant gains in some of the Lok Sabha seats, such as Jalpaiguri, Raiganj and even Darjeeling.
Besides, the BJP is on the back foot in parts of north Bengal because of the Modi government’s failure to meet regional demands such as a “permanent political solution” for the hills and Scheduled Tribe status for 11 hill communities.
Modi on Saturday claimed the BJP was very close to resolving the issue of a “permanent political solution”, which more or less means a separate Gorkhaland state — a longstanding demand of the Gorkhas of the region.
BJP insiders said the decision to have Modi address a rally in Siliguri was aimed at making the grass-root workers ready for the poll battle, particularly as north Bengal is key to the party’s electoral success in the state.
Modi emphasised development for the region, aware that north Bengal has some of the state’s poorest areas, like North Dinajpur, and faces major infrastructural bottlenecks – for instance, in the Darjeeling hills.
“We have started infrastructural projects worth Rs 4,500 crore for north Bengal. We have a specific roadmap for the development of this region and in the coming days, connectivity will increase to boost economic development and tourism,” he said.
Before the rally, Modi had unveiled a slew of projects, including railway and road projects and the introduction of a new train service.
He also took an impromptu decision to hold a road show. “I participated in a 12km road show and people here responded spontaneously. That’s why I was late to reach the (meeting) venue,” he said.
Before reaching Bagdogra on Saturday, Modi visited Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and inaugurated several projects. From Bengal, he headed for Varanasi, from where he will contest the parliamentary elections a third time.
