KOLKATA: An hour before campaigning ended for the first phase of elections in 152 Assembly constituencies scheduled on April 23 in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah intensified his attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress and its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, alleging that the latter may leave the country after May 4.
In last-minute campaigning, the Union Minister said, “Fearing defeat in the elections in Bengal, ‘bhaipo’ (Abhishek Banerjee, who is a nephew of the outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) has already bought a ticket and is also ready to flee the country after May 4.”
Counting of votes for the Assembly elections in the state will take place on May 4.
Shah was addressing a poll rally in Chandipur in East Midnapore district on Tuesday. “Mamata Banerjee will do nothing for employment and development of Bengal. She is in power only with the aim of making her ‘bhaipo’ the next chief minister of the state. But don’t worry. Bhaipo will flee after May 4. BJP will form the government in the state,” Shah said.
Significantly, the Trinamool Congress supremo, while addressing a rally in Chandipur in East Midnapore, said that Abhishek would handle political affairs in the entire district in the coming days.
“You (Suvendu Adhikari’s family) have ego as one brother (Dibyendu) is an MP while you (Suvendu) are an MLA. Another brother is also an MLA. You have done a lot for your family. But in my family, no one except myself has contested in the Assembly elections. Every day you attack Abhishek. In the coming days, Abhishek will be in charge of East Midnapore and I will also be there with him,” Mamata said while addressing the rally.
The Adhikari family hails from Contai in the district, and all three brothers belong to the BJP.
Earlier in the day, while addressing another poll rally in Kurseong in Darjeeling district, Shah promised that the BJP would resolve the decades-old Gorkha issue within six months if the party comes to power in West Bengal. He said no party other than the BJP could find a solution acceptable to the Gorkhas.
“I will come to Darjeeling again to meet you after the Gorkha issue is resolved once the BJP government is formed on May 5. False cases have allegedly been framed against Gorkha brothers, and all these cases will be withdrawn by July 31 after the BJP comes to power in Bengal,” said the Union Home Minister.
“We will also work towards a permanent political solution so that you (Gorkhas) no longer need to organise any movement. The BJP understands the concerns and aspirations of the Gorkhas and will work towards a settlement on their terms,” he said.
The Gorkha issue refers to the long-standing demand for a separate state in the Gorkha-majority hill districts of north Bengal, although Shah did not use the words ‘Gorkhaland’ or ‘statehood’ in his speech.
The saffron party, which has won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in every general election since 2009, has regularly promised a permanent political solution to the hill issue without committing to a separate state.
“After becoming Home Minister, I had convened three major meetings to resolve the Gorkha issue, but not even a representative from Mamata’s side attended,” Shah alleged.
The Union Home Minister also alleged that the Congress and the TMC had betrayed the people of the hills for decades.
“The Congress and the TMC have done injustice not only to Darjeeling but also to our patriotic Gorkha brothers,” he said.