Addressing a public meeting at Belda in Paschim Medinipur district, Banerjee said, “Trinamool has already declared its list of candidates and today election dates have also been announced. The BJP is yet to declare its (complete) candidate list because they are waiting for Trinamool’s rejects. As the BJP doesn’t have candidates of its own, they are waiting for those who leave TMC and can be propped up as BJP candidates.”
The Diamond Harbour MP’s remarks come a day after TMC MPs Arjun Singh and Dibyendu Adhikari officially joined the BJP in Delhi, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Singh is the sitting MP from Barrackpore seat.
Singh had voiced his disgruntlement with the TMC and accused the party of “betraying him” by fielding state minister Partha Bhowmick from Barrackpore. “When I rejoined the Trinamool Congress in 2022, I was promised that I would be re-nominated as the party’s MP candidate from Barrackpore. But the party betrayed me by going back on its promise,” he said.
Dibyendu Adhikari represents the Tamluk constituency. He is the brother of Leader of Opposition in state Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari. He had proximity with the BJP since the 2021 Assembly polls, after Suvendu having joined the BJP ahead of that election.
While the TMC has announced its candidates for all 42 seats in Bengal, the BJP is yet to declare its full candidate list. So far, the party has only announced names for 20 seats.
Banerjee was in Belda to campaign for TMC’s Medinipur candidate June Malia. BJP leader Dilip Ghosh is the current MP from the seat.
Taking a dig at Ghosh, who is yet to get a nomination from BJP for the Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee said, “Those who elected Dilip Ghosh have seen what he did in the past five years. Dilip Ghosh’s only job is to go on morning walks. One can see this on television screens every morning. Will people elect an MP who wants to engage in morning walks or choose a Banglar Meye (Bengal’s daughter) who wants to work for them? The people here must pledge: Morning walk kora dada park’e thaak, Banglar meye dilli jaak (Let the elder brother who loves taking morning walk remain in park, let Bengal’s daughter go to Delhi).”
The TMC MP also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre withholding funds to the state under various welfare schemes. ” The PM held a meeting in Siliguri a few days ago alleging that while the Centre had released the money for houses, it was the state government that had blocked those funds. With due respect to the chair of the Prime Minister, I would like to make the following request: Modi ji, next time you visit Bengal, please share an account of the funds released to Bengal under MGNREGA and Awas Yojana after BJP lost the 2021 Assembly elections,” said Banerjee.
“If the Modi-led Central government can prove that they have given even 10 paisa to West Bengal for these schemes, I will not campaign for Trinamool again. Why is the BJP not producing a white paper on the matter? I am issuing an open challenge from Medinipur. I do not have any arrogance and I am willing to debate any BJP worker,” he added.
According to Banerjee, the upcoming polls are not a vote to elect but a vote to protest and reject those who have “deceived the people here and engaged in merrymaking in Delhi”. “These people must be taught a lesson and their deposits must be forfeited,” he added.