Trinamul’s national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, at his constituency Diamond Harbour, appealed to voters to increase his winning margin in the Lok Sabha polls by reminding them of his achievements on a day Union home minister Amit Shah was in Calcutta to inaugurate a Durga Puja pandal in central Calcutta.

Abhishek on Monday made it clear that his target was to increase his winning margin from Diamond Harbour to 4 lakh in 2024 from 3.21 lakh in 2019.

“I won by 71,000 votes in 2014. The margin was 3,21,000 in 2019… I appeal to voters that the margin should rise to 4 lakh this time,” said Abhishek.

Addressing the gathering at a Puja "gift" distribution programme, the Diamond Harbour MP ridiculed the BJP's efforts to defeat him in 2019.

“Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma spent over a month in Diamond Harbour to defeat me. They conducted a door-to-door visit… The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) held programmes and said I will lose the election,” Abhishek said.

Trinamul insiders said Abhishek virtually launched his campaign for the Lok Sabha polls with a call to voters to increase his victory margin on a day Shah visited the city.

“It is clear that Abhishek threw a challenge to Shah,” said a Trinamul leader.

Without naming anyone, Abhishek added: "Political outsiders who lied to the world saying Bengal did not celebrate Durga Puja visited the state today (Monday) to inaugurate a Durga Puja. This is the power of Bengal's culture and heritage and the victory of truth."

In 2019, Shah, while inaugurating a Durga Puja in Calcutta's Salt Lake area, recalled a 2017 incident to say there was a time when "people had to move the high court" for Durga idol immersion.

In 2017, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had initially restricted idol immersion till 10pm on September 30, the day of Vijaya Dashami, and stopped immersion the next day, which was Muharram. Three petitions were filed before Calcutta High Court, challenging the decision. The high court had, then, revoked the state government’s decision.

Abhishek listed the work he initiated as an MP in the past five years to back his claim that he would increase his victory margin in the 2024 polls. He claimed that he was the only MP in the country who presented a report card showcasing his “work for the people”.

While laying stress on the initiatives taken by him to help common people, Abhishek referred to the work done in the constituency during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our volunteers delivered food to the people during the Covid pandemic… 50,000 Covid tests were recorded in Diamond Harbour. The percentage of Covid-affected people was reduced to 2 per cent from 12 per cent in seven days,” said Abhishek.

Abhishek also pointed out the development projects he initiated as an MP for Diamond Harbour.

“Road development projects worth Rs 500 crore have been done here in this constituency in the last nine years after I was elected… One of the largest water projects, the Falta- Mathurapur drinking water project worth Rs 1,00 crore will be completed within the next six to eight months. I am looking into the project myself,” said Abhishek.

Abhishek dropped a hint that Trinamul would launch a larger agitation against the Centre from November 1 soon after Durga Puja.

“We were dragged out of the Krishi Bhavan (in Delhi earlier this month) because we demanded our rightful dues (from the Centre) for MGNREGA… The MoS (Niranjan Jyoti) did not meet us and she ran away through the back door after making us wait for three hours… We demonstrated in front of Raj Bhavan and staged a dharna for five days following which we met the governor (C.V. Ananda Bose). This was only the trailer. The full movie will be shown... from November 1,” said Abhishek.