Nadia (West Bengal), April 8 – The West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Samik Bhattacharya, described the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in the state as a political contest pitting "the public against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee."
Speaking to reporters during a BJP campaign here, Bhattacharya said, "We do not rely on Harijan, Girijan, Adivasi, Matua, and Rajbanshi communities; we conduct our politics based on our own vision. We have a vision for the entire people of West Bengal."
The State BJP President emphasized that the BJP's agenda is to "free the people of West Bengal from the influence of the Trinamool Congress."
"This election is essentially a contest between the public and Mamata Banerjee," he stated.
In response to Mamata Banerjee's statement that her party's target is Delhi, Bhattacharya said, "Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of West Bengal for one to one-and-a-half months more. It is not necessary to react to everything she says."
The West Bengal BJP Chief also addressed the controversy that arose after Rakesh Singh was announced as the party's candidate from the Kolkata Port Assembly constituency soon after he was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court.
Bhattacharya questioned, "Why was Rakesh Singh sent to jail in the first place? Why was his daughter arrested and kept in custody for three days? The local people know this; whether he went to jail after committing a crime or after staging a political protest. And what were the charges framed against him?"
"We are hopeful of a positive verdict from the court," he asserted.
The BJP leader accused the Trinamool Congress of attempting to remove the names of voters from the Matua community during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state.
Bhattacharya said, "I have to agree that they (Trinamool) have been successful to some extent in this attempt."
"Some names from the Adivasi (tribal) community have been removed by the Trinamool Congress. There has also been controversy regarding some prominent figures in the society," he added.
Moreover, Bhattacharya said, "If the Trinamool believes that by removing some names from the Matua and Adivasi communities (from the voter's list), they will win the elections, then they are mistaken."
He expressed confidence that the BJP would win all seven Assembly seats in Nadia district.
"The Trinamool will not be able to open its (vote count) account in Nadia," he said, adding, "The Trinamool is finished."