Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda on Monday asked party functionaries in north Bengal districts to struggle relentlessly in the run-up to the crucial assembly polls due in another six months.
“He said that party workers and leaders should forget everything else and concentrate on strengthening the organization at the polling booth level in every community block and put up a struggle against the Trinamool Congress (TMC),” a BJP leader, who attended the closed-door meeting, held at a hotel in Siliguri town, said on condition of anonymity.
“Being aware of the violent attacks being made on our workers by the TMC, he said we have to go ahead bearing in mind that the police and administration are under the control of the ruling party. He said the next six months are crucial as this is the biggest battle the BJP faces,” said state general secretary Sayantan Basu, who accompanied Nadda. “He said BJP will restore democracy and rule of law in Bengal once it is in power,” added Basu.
The media was not allowed inside the hall where Nadda interacted with BJP office-bearers from north Bengal districts. He arrived at Bagdogra airport at 11 am and left for Delhi at 6.30 pm.
{{/usCountry}}The media was not allowed inside the hall where Nadda interacted with BJP office-bearers from north Bengal districts. He arrived at Bagdogra airport at 11 am and left for Delhi at 6.30 pm.
{{/usCountry}}After his arrival, Nadda garlanded the statue of Panchanan Barma, the biggest leader of the socially backward Rajbanshi community who stood up against caste hegemony in the last century. The Rajbanshis represent a sizeable vote bank in the region, especially in Cooch Behar district. They started a movement during the erstwhile Left Front era, demanding a separate state.
Nadda also offered prayers at the Anandamoyee Kali temple before heading for the hotel where he separately addressed local party leaders and representatives of different communities, businessmen and representatives of ethnic groups from the hills and the plains.
North Bengal is important for the BJP. In the 2018 panchayat polls, which were marked by violence, the party could make dents only in a few rural pockets but things changed in 2019. The BJP won 18 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats last year and made deep inroads in north Bengal districts where it won seven of the eight Lok Sabha seats. In terms of the 56 assembly segments in the eight seats in north Bengal, the BJP is ahead of the TMC in 36. The West Bengal assembly has 294 seats.
While addressing representatives of different communities and ethnic groups, Nadda said if the BJP comes to power then it will transform north Bengal by setting up industries and helping local artisans and farmers.
Referring to the Gorkha community’s demand for a permanent political solution to the Gorkhaland issue, Nadda said, “We had promised in our election manifesto that a permanent political solution would be found and recognition would be given to the 11 ethnic groups. We are committed to this.”
He also promised that a hub would be set up in the region to help growers of cinchona and other medicinal plants.
The BJP government is forming rules to implement the new citizenship law, he said. “The work got delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The rules are being made,” he said.
The TMC government has not implemented a lot of welfare projects, such as Ayushman Bharat, though which the Centre helps poor people, said Nadda.
“The TMC is creating rifts in the society to help it stay in power. It has done nothing for the people. The BJP does what it promises,” said Nadda.
TMC leaders in Kolkata did not react to Nadda’s visit.