Rajasthan CM alleges misuse of Central funds, predicts BJP win
The Statesman | 19 April 2026
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday alleged that central funds allocated to West Bengal have not been properly utilised, claiming that the state has failed to achieve its full development potential.
Sharma was in Siliguri to campaign for BJP candidate Sankar Ghosh, where he participated in a road show and later attended several public engagements, urging people to vote in favour of the BJP. Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the programme, he said his interactions with the public indicated a strong desire for political change in the state.
“I have spoken to people and it is clear that they have made up their minds. Not just in Siliguri, but across West Bengal, BJP candidates will win and form the government,” Sharma said, expressing confidence that the state would soon see a “double-engine government.”
He asserted that if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal, the pace of development would accelerate significantly. Referring to central allocations, Sharma claimed that funds provided by the Centre were not effectively utilised, resulting in a gap between potential and actual development.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister further alleged that people in West Bengal are disillusioned with multiple issues, including what he described as “appeasement politics, corruption, cut-money culture, and law and order problems.” He said these factors have led to growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling Trinamul Congress.
“People are now thinking of rejecting the present government and bringing in a new political alternative,” Sharma said, adding that the BJP represents that alternative and is gaining support across the state.