Siliguri BJP candidate Shankar Ghosh aims to sway government staff with posters
Telegraph | 1 April 2026
Shankar Ghosh, the BJP candidate and the sitting MLA of Siliguri, put up campaign posters outside key government establishments across the city on Tuesday, drawing both public attention and political criticism.
The posters have appeared at prominent locations, including the Siliguri police station and the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, as well as many other state government office premises.
While the posters prominently feature Ghosh’s name, they do not carry the name or the symbol of the BJP.
Speaking to the media, Ghosh said the initiative was aimed at drawing attention to what he described as long-standing neglect and “exploitation” of government employees by the state administration.
“Once the BJP forms the government in Bengal, we will implement the seventh pay commission within 45 days. We will also address the concerns of contractual workers and provide relief to teacher aspirants who lost opportunities due to recruitment scams,” he said.
The campaign centered on promises aimed at state government employees and contract workers. The key assurances highlighted in the posters include implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations, pay hikes and improved remuneration for contractual workers like civic volunteers, health workers, and other government staff, and special relief measures such as relaxation in age limits for teaching aspirants affected by recruitment irregularities.
Explaining his decision to place posters within government premises, Ghosh said: “The state government has deprived its employees and casual workers of their rightful dues. Civic volunteers, para-teachers, and health workers — all have faced neglect. I wanted to highlight these pressing issues where they matter the most.”
The move sparked a sharp response from the ruling Trinamool Congress. Party leaders accused Ghosh of violating the model code of conduct (MCC), which is currently in force.
Gautam Deb, Siliguri’s mayor and the Trinamool candidate contesting against Ghosh, termed the act a “gross violation” of electoral norms.
“We consider this a serious breach of the MCC. Our legal team is in the process of filing a formal complaint with the Election Commission,” he said.