Preparing a roadmap for the upcoming state Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government has shattered the expectations of people in West Bengal.
“Bengal wants development, peace and property. People want Bengal to reach the peak of developments. They want Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal). People have come here to bring real change in Bengal,” he said.
Modi was addressing a huge rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Ground yesterday ahead of state Assembly polls. Modi said that he had never before seen such a huge turnout in a political rally.
The premier said his visit was targeted to reassure the people of Bengal that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would work towards a better tomorrow.
“Let me assure you that we will leave no stone unturned to develop Bengal. We want a Bengal full of employment opportunities so that people do not have to go out. Real change means 21st century infrastructure, more investment, comprehensive growth and more economic power to poor people,” he pointed out.
He said that there would be no appeasement politics in the state if the BJP comes to power. The party will not entertain illegal immigrants.
“These five years are going to be really important for Bengal to prepare the development blueprint for the next 25 years. We all need to work hard towards that direction.
“Bengal needs a double-engine government to capitalise on that growth momentum,” Modi said. He said, besides Kolkata, other cities will also be developed across various districts so that education and medicines are available people and jobs can be created for the youths. “I promise to win your hearts with development drives.
You know what all Bengal had lost. We want to bring that glory back once again,” the prime minister said, adding that just to topple the existing state government is not the target of BJP.
“We want real change which will bring back its lost glory and development. We must stop the practice of vote bank politics. TMC-led state government has been exposed,” he said, while shouting “no more corruption, no more syndicate, no more violence”.
The 294-member West Bengal Assembly will go to the polls in eight phases between March 27 and April 29. The counting will take place on May 2.
Bollywood superstar and son of the soul from West Bengal Mithun Chakraborty yesterday joined the BJP’s mega show at in the presence of Modi.
He urged people to vote against the incumbent Trinamool Congress government in Bengal.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari yesterday challenged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that he would defeat the Trinamool Congress supremo in East Midnapore’s Nandigram in the Assembly elections.
“It is my land and I am a voter in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee is an outsider there,” Adhikari said. “I urge you all to have faith in me. I will defeat the chief minister in Nandigram.”
Nandigram is a stronghold of newly-inducted BJP leader Adhikari who had been elected from the high profile seat in 2016 and became a minister in Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet. Adhikari had joined the saffron brigade in December last year. The rebel Trinamool leader had claimed earlier that he will defeat Banerjee by over 50,000 votes.
India’s Prime Minster Narendra Modi addresses supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a mass rally ahead of the state legislative assembly elections at the Brigade Parade ground in Kolkata yesterday.
