No alternative to TMC in state: Sudip Bandyopadhyay

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, the MP said, “We have been saying from the beginning that we will win 42 seats... There is no alternative to TMC in Bengal. The BJP has no prospect here,” he said.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay, tmc, tmc west bengal, lok sabha elections, BJP, west bengal bjp, indian express

TMC MP Sudip bandyopadhyay

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Sunday said there was no alternative to the ruling party in the state, and that it would win all 42 Bengal seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, the MP said, “We have been saying from the beginning that we will win 42 seats… There is no alternative to TMC in Bengal. The BJP has no prospect here,” he said.

The comments from the ruling party leader came days before prominent BJP leaders are set to campaign in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb and others are scheduled to hold rallies in coming weeks. BJP has given a call to its workers to win around 23 seats in Bengal.

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Two campaigns yet to kick off

At a time when TMC and BJP have set targets in terms of seats to win in Lok Sabha elections, two contenders, CPM and Congress, are yet to formally kick off their campaign. While CPM has plans to hold a ‘brigade rally’ on February 3, it has said little else. With BJP and Congress summoning top leaders from across the country to woo voters, CPM and Congress could find it tough to pose a threat to them, having already lost ground in terms of time.

Describing the BJP’s target as wishful thinking, state minister and TMC leader Firhad Hakim accused the BJP-led NDA government of using central agencies against Opposition parties to stifle their voices. “There is always an Opposition voice in a democracy. But what is the central government doing now? It is using CBI, ED and Income Tax department on Opposition parties to silence them. It wants to frighten the Opposition parties in a bid to create a Opposition-free country,” he said.

Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said the general election will showcase BJP’s power in the state.

On the sidelines of a rally in Howrah, the BJP leader said, “An Emergency-like situation is prevailing in West Bengal under the rule of the TMC government. We cannot take out yatras here. Helicopters are denied permission to land. Around 35 per cent seats were won uncontested by TMC in the state panchayat polls. Here, you have to pay syndicate tax. The present situation in Bengal is worse than what it was during the erstwhile Left Front rule.”

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