Kolkata (West Bengal): In the shadow of Sandeshkhali controversy which the Opposition BJP made a rallying point to corner Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government, the ruling party in West Bengal has launched its Lok Sabha poll campaign with a blistering attack on the BJP at a grand rally on Sunday at Kolkata's famed Brigade Parade Grounds, where the party supremo announced her party's decision to field candidates in all 42 seats in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The announcement by Trinamool Congress is seen as a blow to INDIA alliance.
Actor-turned-politician Nusrat Jahan was left out from the candidates' list, which was released by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who will contest from Diamond Harbour. While announcing candidates, Abhishek Banerjee said, "Ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan will be TMC's surprise candidate from Baharampur." Banerjee, state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Subrata Bakshi launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP at the rally. As expected, Mahua Moitra would contest from Krishnagar.
"'Modi ki guarantee' has zero warranty, corrupt people are joining the BJP," Abhishek said. Bhattacharya termed the saffron party as 'anti-woman'.
The West Bengal Chief Minister said, she will not allow NRC in her state. "They are trying to deactivate Aadhar cards in an effort to deport people to Bangladesh or put them in detention camps. We will not allow that to happen in Bengal. They are people who call any Sikh person Khalistani or a minority person as a Pakistani. We don't do that. All are our brothers. Not a single BJP leader ever paid a visit to Manipur when the state was burning. But, they are making a beeline here and making accusations. We urge all to give them a befitting reply in the coming elections," the TMC supremo said.
Criticising the Centre for not releasing funds for the Rural Guaranteed Employment scheme and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Mamata said, "We want people's power to show them that Bengal will not bow down before their whims and fancies. We want to assure you that if we can create 45 job days and make payment from our own resources, we will do so for 50 days also in the coming days."
"We will also construct houses for those who have not got houses under the PMAY scheme, by next May. Modi has been coming to Bengal and telling you that Trinamool Congress has usurped all central funds. I will show you with accounts that they have not paid a single rupee for three financial years since their defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections. If they never sent money, what was Trinamool usurping?"
Yusuf Pathan thanked Mamata Banerjee for inducting him into TMC. "I'm eternally grateful to Smt @MamataOfficial for welcoming me into the TMC family and trusting me with the responsibility to become people's voice in the Parliament. As representatives of the people, it is our duty to uplift the poor and deprived, and that is what I hope to achieve," Yusuf, a former India all-rounder, said in a post on X.
Earlier, lakhs of supporters and numerous block-level leaders were seen in the morning flocking from different districts to hear their leader, affectionately called 'Didi'.
The TMC's mega rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds, a historic site initially established as a parade ground during the British colonial era, holds significance as this is the party's first large-scale gathering at Maidan since the January 2019 opposition meeting, where leaders from 19 opposition parties joined forces in a display of solidarity.
Despite its well-entrenched grassroots organisation, the TMC's tally dropped to 22 seats from 34 in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, whereas BJP clocked an impressive performance by clinching 18 seats in the state. Sources within the TMC suggested the possibility of significant defections from other political parties, particularly the BJP, which has seen eight MLAs and two MPs crossing over to the ruling party in the state since the 2021 assembly polls.
In a departure from conventional rally setups, the Trinamool Congress has opted for ramps to facilitate closer interaction between leaders and supporters during speeches. The three main stages interconnected by ramps aim to enhance engagement and connect with the grassroots. Meanwhile, the BJP has derided the TMC's programme, branding it as the party's 'farewell rally.'
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari disparaged TMC's leaders as "goons and corrupt," predicting their 'impending downfall.' In a countermove, the BJP plans to hold a rally in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have surfaced.
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing furore over the Sandeshkhali row, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh hit out at the TMC-led West Bengal government and alleged that the party is trying to "Save" Sheikh Shahjahan.
He further said, "The state ruling party was forced to arrest him, but they tried to save him from the court. Now, they are trying to hide his documents, including his mobile phone. However, the ED and CBI have begun their investigation, and everything will be cleared."
Meanwhile, Sheikh was accused of sexual abuse, land-grabbing in Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, and attacking an ED team, and is currently under the custody of the CBI.
Tearing into the Mamata-led government over allegations of "sexual abuse" and "land grab" in the Sandeshkhali area, Dilip Ghosh earlier charged the ruling party with shielding goons and rapists present in "every nook and corner" of the state.
The BJP MP further alleged that the TMC had protected a criminal and a rapist for over two months, referring to the arrest of TMC strongman Shahjahan. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi over changing the status of Kashmir post-abrogation of Article 370, the BJP MP cited that if the PM can turn the Kashmir issue cool, it will take him only 2 minutes to mellow the ongoing Bengal issues.
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