Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday escalated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), saying his party’s “achievement” in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections would be replicated in Bhabanipur and the entire West Bengal, as he addressed successive rallies across the election-bound state.
In 2021, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was defeated by her former aide and now BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
Speaking first in Haldia in East Midnapore, PM Modi said the political transformation that began in Nandigram will now extend across the state. “Nandigram showed the path of change five years ago. Now the whole of Bengal is moving in this direction. The same will be repeated in Bhabanipur,” he said, referring to the BJP which mobilized Adhikari against Banerjee in its stronghold.
Modi promises accountability and action against corruption
The Prime Minister also cornered the TMC government on governance and corruption, while announcing a raft of guarantees if the BJP comes to power. These measures included restoring “trust and removing fear”, ensuring accountability in the administration, reopening files related to frauds and alleged crimes against women, working against corruption regardless of its rank, giving rights to refugees while tackling infiltration, and implementing the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees.
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The main theme in Modi’s speeches, from Haldia to Asansol and Birbhum, has been fisheries and food policies. Modi accused the TMC of failing to make Bengal self-reliant in fish production despite high demand, and said: “Even fish have to be purchased from other states. This reflects the corruption and inefficiency of the government.” He credited central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for boosting production at the national level and in BJP-ruled states, alleging that the TMC had not implemented them effectively due to political considerations.
In Asansol, the Prime Minister said Bengal “craves a dual-engine government” and expected a “new era of development” after the election results. He also took aim at the TMC’s founding slogan from 2011, “Ma, Mati, Manush”, claiming that “today the mother is crying, the land is being taken away, and the people are living in fear.”
The attack became more severe in Birbhum, where Modi gave an example of the violence in Bugtoi when he described the TMC’s rule as a “jungle raj”. “Innocent women and children have been burned alive. Shouldn’t this end?” he asked.
Meanwhile, CM Banerjee, addressing a rally in North 24 Parganas, hit back at the BJP, asserting that the TMC will retain power despite alleged widespread deletions from electoral rolls. She also took issue with the BJP’s claims on fisheries, highlighting her government’s efforts to boost fish production, including initiatives on Hilsa conservation and reducing dependence on imports.
“The first round of counting may indicate that the BJP is ahead in some areas. However, subsequent rounds will shift the results significantly in our favour,” Banerjee said.
