© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Sitting Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumder faces a tough challenge this time with Trinamool Congress (TMC) fielding Cabinet Minister Biplab Mitra against him. At the same time, as the state party president, Majumder is also responsible for planning the BJP’s strategy for the Lok Sabha polls. He speaks to The Indian Express about the party’s strategy in and expectations from the state, CAA, TMC corruption and poll violence. Excerpts:
On its own, nationally, the BJP should win PM Modi’s target of at least 376 seats. The NDA will cross the 400 mark. And to achieve this target, I think we need 30 seats from Bengal, which we surely will. We may also get 35 seats in the state.
Our campaign has two broad areas of focus. On the one hand, we are campaigning about the corruption and the atrocities unleashed by the TMC against regular people. On the other hand, we are highlighting the development ushered in by PM Modi.
The mastermind of the Bangalore café blast was arrested from West Bengal. Such people are Mamata Banerjee’s target audience. She wants the state to be a cradle of communal, hyper-Islamic, anti-India activities. That is why Central agencies are getting obstructed. I would like to give a call to secular people and intellectuals of the state to save Bengal. The state faces a grave situation as it is in bad hands. Mamata Banerjee’s police are slapping molestation cases against the NIA. But as Amit Shahji had said at a rally, ‘Ulta latkake sidha karenge (Will make them come clean by hanging them upside down)’. That should be the mindset of Central agencies.
I want to make one thing clear. This (Balurghat Lok Sabha seat) being in a border district has an influx of refugees. Hindu refugees are always welcome. Personally, I believe any Hindu Bengali wherever they face atrocities has a right to come to the state of West Bengal. This state was created by Syama Prasad Mookerjee and other leaders for Bengali Hindus. Other people may stay here, but it is the first right of Bengali Hindus, who have been persecuted for their religion, to come and live in it.
Having said that, infiltration is a big problem. Not only are common people infiltrating through the porous border, but also masterminds behind communal acts like blasts. Already, the BSF has planned 71 check posts along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Amit Shahji personally met the CM at Nabanna and made the request for the land. Alas, she is not giving any land to the Union Home Ministry for the BSF.
At his first public meeting here, Amit Shah ji made it clear that Mamata Banerjee is just spreading propaganda. There is nothing more to it. I can assure everyone that if you face any problem due to the CAA, please come to me or the BJP, and we’ll help you. There will be no problem whatsoever. No card will be scrapped, no one will lose the benefit of Lakshmir Bhandar (the state government’s direct benefit scheme).
We are saying you gave us an opportunity five years ago, and we brought development that is now prominent and visible. That is why I feel people will vote for us this time, and our margin will increase.
The highest number of Central forces has been sanctioned for Bengal. This shows the state of law and order of the state. I feel the security forces should be deployed early in the state. We have a history of post-poll violence. It’s a bad legacy. We feel Central forces should also remain in Bengal for two-three months after the elections. Otherwise it will be a mockery of democracy.
At the time, we were eyeing 200 Assembly seats, but lost our way during the poll process. So this time, we are planning to do away with all lacunae, and will win at least one more seat than the TMC. And if that happens, the state government will fall.
In 2019, we won 18 seats. I can assure you that we now have a more robust organisational structure. With that, we believe we can double the number of seats this time.
That’s just melodrama. They want to shift the focus from communal clashes that took place in Diamond Harbour.
