The Trinamul Congress on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of a cut in LPG cylinder prices, asserting that the move was the “limit of political cynicism” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. West Bengal’s ruling party also dubbed it as a “token cut” and a “cheap political stunt” Weeks before general elections, the PM on Friday announced a Rs 100 per cylinder cut in cooking gas LPG price to ease financial burden on households.

"Today, on Women's Day, our Government has decided to reduce LPG cylinder prices by Rs 100. This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting our Nari Shakti," Modi said in a post on X.

Responding to the announcement, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose mocked the prime minister, saying “the country needs a pradhan mantri, what we have is an election mantri”.

“Days before the general elections, the Modi government has reduced the price of LPG; this is the limit of political cynicism. All this time, all these years, women consumers were labouring under the burden of high LPG prices,” she said on X.

TMC MP Saket Gokhale claimed that Modi’s ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) is limited to election campaigning.

“It doesn’t matter to Modi how women of India survive under sky-high LPG prices all year unless he gets to have an ‘event’ & a PR opportunity. That’s the only time he remembers that women exist,” Gokhale said in a post on X.

Santanu Sen, TMC spokesperson, dismissed the move as an “election gimmick” of the BJP.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the reduction will bring a slight relief for people, but slammed the saffron party for “past hikes” of LPG cylinder prices.

This is the second reduction in cooking gas prices in six months.

Rates were cut by Rs 200 per cylinder in late August ahead of assembly elections in five states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

General elections are due in April-May.

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