Modi Gave More Money to Bengal Than Congress: Smriti Irani in WB
BJP President Amit Shah has claimed his party will win 22 out of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.
Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani, on 24 January, said the Narendra Modi-led government at Centre had given more funds to West Bengal than the previous Congress-led UPA government.
Irani was earlier scheduled to address two public rallies in Jhargram and Suri in place of BJP President Amit Shah, but could not reach the venue after her chopper failed to land due to lack of daylight, a state party leader said, hinting at a conspiracy by the Bengal government.
Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Bengal, had to cut short his trip to the state due to his health.
- The TMC said Amit Shah’s rally showed the BJP’s “nervousness” ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
- Shah attacked the mega opposition rally held on 19 January at Kolkata’s Brigade Grounds by saying the mahagathbandhan has nine potential prime ministerial candidates
- Shah’s rallies were postponed after he was admitted to AIIMS Delhi due to swine flu
- Shah has claimed that his party will win at least 22 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections
- The BJP had won only two seats in West Bengal in 2014
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)
For Lok Sabha Polls, Shah to Kick-start BJP's Bengal Campaign with Rally in Malda
The BJP will kick-start its campaign in Bengal for the national elections with a public meeting by party chief Amit Shah in Malda on Wednesday, 22 January, three days after Mamata Banerjee's mega rally featuring opposition leaders from across the country.
Malda, a border district in north Bengal, was a Congress stronghold for decades with its politics being dominated by party veteran ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury and his family. However, ruling Trinamool Congress have built a strong presence there after regime change in the state in 2011.
State BJP leaders feel Shah's rallies will help the party give a "befitting reply" to the Trinamool Congress' 19 January mega show.
The party had planned 'Rath Yatras' from December touching all Lok Sabha constituencies in the state to boost its chances in the national elections. But it was denied permission by the state government and has been caught in legal tangles.
The Supreme Court had recently put the programme on hold saying the Bengal government's law and order apprehensions over the 'rath yatra' was not "totally unfounded" and had asked BJP to submit a fresh request and seek necessary approvals.
(With inputs from PTI)
Amit Shah Can Come to WB Several Times But They Will Lose LS Elections: TMC Gen Secy
The BJP has identified West Bengal as a priority state for the general elections and Shah has set a target of 22 of the state's total 42 Lok Sabha seats.
Reacting to Shah's upcoming rallies, Trinamool Congress' secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, "They (BJP top leaders) can come several times but it won't bear any results as they will loose the Lok Sabha elections." Over the last few years, the BJP has emerged as the main opposition in the state with a significant show in rural polls and by-elections.
Clearance Finally Given for Amit Shah's Chopper in Bengal: BJP
Amid high drama over denial of permission for facilitating the landing of BJP President Amit Shah's chopper in West Bengal's Malda ahead of his rally on 22 January, the state BJP leadership on Monday, 21 January said they have finally received the clearance at two places in the district.
"We have got permission to land the chopper at two places – the helipad in Malda's Golden Park Hotel and also the helipad used by the Border Security Force in the district. We have heard that the helipad at the hotel is not fully ready, so Shah's chopper might land at the BSF's facility tomorrow," state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said.
Earlier in the day, the state BJP issued a statement accusing the West Bengal government of denying permission for Shah's chopper at the Malda airstrip ahead of his rally on Tuesday.
The statement said the local administration denied permission for landing citing construction work was going on at the airstrip but claimed that no such construction activities were underway at the facility.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, refuted BJP's allegation and said permission for the rally was given by the state administration but the chopper was asked to be landed elsewhere due to security reasons.
"Permission has been given but there are security issues. Police had said that the chopper should land at some other place. I also changed my chopper's landing on their request. We have granted permission for the meeting as we believe in democracy. They (BJP) are distorting information and misleading people. We have given permission," she told reporters outside the city airport on her way to north Bengal.
BJP Cancels PM Modi's Brigade Rally in February
The proposed rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata next month has been cancelled, the BJP said Monday, 21 January, adding that the PM would attend three rallies in West Bengal starting next week.
The historic ground, also known as the Maidan, was the venue for the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on 19 January.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in West Bengal. On 28 January (Sunday), he will address a rally at Thakurnagar in Bongaon. On 2 February, he will address a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal," state Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said.
Modi's scheduled rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on 8 February has been cancelled and, instead, he will be addressing a rally at Asansol – represented by party MP Babul Supriyo – on the same day, Ghosh said. "So far, this is the schedule."
Asked why the BJP was not organising the Kolkata rally as scheduled, Ghosh said the party would be holding three rallies in various parts of the state, and that was why they had decided to call off the rally. "We will organise a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground later," he added.
People Are Being Stopped From Going to Shah's Rally: RS Prasad
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday, 22 January, alleged that buses were being obstructed and people were being stopped in West Bengal from going to Amit Shah’s rally. He said, “If Mamata Banerjee is a fighter, why is she scared of letting people come to a BJP rally?"
Unidentified Miscreants Damage BJP Posters in Malda
Ahead of Shah’s rally in Malda on Tuesday, 22 January, unidentified miscreants damaged BJP’s posters and banners promoting the event, reported ANI.
BJP President Amit Shah Reaches Malda
Will Oust Mamata Didi's Govt: Amit Shah Addresses Party Workers in Malda
While addressing a rally in Malda, BJP President Amit Shah said the BJP will oust the Mamata Banerjee-led government from West Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"The People of Bengal will not forgive Mamata Banerjee for not allowing BJP’s Rath Yatra,” Shah said on Tuesday, 22 January.
Promising citizenship to every “Bangladeshi Hindu” in Bengal, Shah said the citizenship bill will become an election issue. He added, “The NDA shall not even let in one foreign bird in Bengal. Every Bangladeshi Hindu shall be given citizenship. The rest will be thrown out of Bengal after NRC is implemented. Finally, Bengal will be of Indians again.”
“The people of Bengal ousted Communists, and you have the power to vote out the Trinamool Congress too,” Shah said.
Attacking TMC for alleged violence, Shah claimed at the rally that “more than 60 karyakartas (workers) of the BJP and other political parties were murdered in Bengal.”
'Bengal is Yearning for Change', Tweets Amit Shah, Thanks People of Malda For Turnout
Amit Shah took to Twitter to thank the people of Malda for their turnout and said that the people of West Bengal are yearning for change.
Amit Shah's Rally Shows BJP's Nervousness: TMC
The Trinamool Congress described BJP chief Amit Shah's speech in West Bengal's Malda on Tuesday as being "low on facts and poor in taste", saying it seemed the saffron party had become nervous and realised its days were numbered.
"After listening to the BJP president's speech in Malda, it's obvious that they are very nervous. They know their days are numbered. They are politically-scared. Their speeches are low on facts and poor in taste," TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien said.
"They (BJP) don't understand the ethos of India. They don't understand the ethos of Bengal. They are heading towards one big zero (in WB in the general election)," he said.
"Some are saying they are desperate, some are saying they have gone mad... or is it a combination of both?" the TMC leader asked.
Amit Shah Likely to Return to Delhi Due to Ill Health
BJP president Amit Shah is likely to return to New Delhi on Tuesday evening due to his ill health. and is unlikely to attend his scheduled rally at Jhargram in West Bengal, party leaders told PTI.
"Amit Shah is very ill. He has high fever, but still attended today's rally here. He was discharged few days ago from the hospital after suffering from swine flu," Bharatiya Janata Party state president Dilip Ghosh said.
WB Govt Denied Landing Permit For Shah’s Chopper: BJP Alleges
Tushar K Ghosh, BJP State Secy and Jhargram District Observer, on Tuesday, alleged that the state administration has only given permission to hold a rally and not for Shah’s helicopter to land in Jhargram.
Contrary to earlier reports of the BJP president returning to Delhi over health concerns, Shah is expected to address a rally in Jhargram on Wednesday, 23 January.
Permit Granted For Meet and Helipad: WB Police Clarifies
Alleging that “there has been a consistent attempt by some persons to create mischief by spreading misinformation”, West Bengal Police clarified that permission has been granted for both the meeting and the helipad of Amit Shah in Jhargram.
BJP Alleges Conspiracy After Smriti Irani's Chopper Failed to Land in West Bengal's Suri
Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani, who was scheduled to address a public meeting at Suri in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Wednesday, 23 January, could not reach the venue after her chopper failed to land due to lack of daylight, a state BJP leader said, smelling a conspiracy by the state government, reported PTI.
Irani was scheduled to address two public rallies in Jhargram and Suri in place of BJP President Amit Shah after he had to cut short his trip to the state due to bad health.
According to the party sources, Irani left for Suri in her chopper after addressing the rally in Jhargram, but the pilot refused to land fearing there would not be adequate daylight when they would reach the venue.
The BJP claimed that Irani's arrival at Suri was delayed due to the conspiracy of Bengal government which asked the party leadership to arrange landing of Irani's chopper at the Kalaikunda Air Force base in West Midnapore district, nearly 40 km from the venue of her first public meeting in Jhargram.
"It was a conspiracy by the Bengal government... They denied landing permission near the meeting venue and instead asked us to land the chopper at Kalaikunda, which means Irani ji had to get down at West Midnapore and had to travel all the way to Jhargram which is at the end point of Bengal's Jangalmahal area," alleged BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.
"Due to this conspiracy, she ran short of time to reach the venue in Suri. Irani and party's national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya could not reach and address the people here. But BJP workers are not upset. We have resolved to stand up against this conspiracy. Major national leaders of our party will come here," he said.
Modi Gave More Money to Bengal Than Congress: Smriti Irani in Joynagar
Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday, 24 January, said that the Narendra Modi-led government at Centre has given more funds to West Bengal than the previous Congress regime, reported PTI.
Speaking at a rally in South 24 Paraganas district, Irani said the UPA government gave Rs 1 lakh crore to the state, while the Modi government gave Rs 2.80 lakh crore under the 14th Finance Commission.
The senior BJP leader also hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for spurning the Centre's heathcare scheme Ayushman Bharat.
"Ask Mamata Banerjee why she is averse to Ayushman Bharat health scheme under which poor people of the state can avail of Rs 5 lakh per family for treatment purposes," she said.
Stating that 2.26 lakh people in the state have benefitted from the Jan Dhan Yojana apart from other Central schemes, Irani slammed Banerjee for being "most ungrateful" to the Centre.
She also took a dig at the Trinamool Congress chief for trying to form alliance parties, which she said did not cooperate with her for coming to power.
Speaking at the rally, State BJP President Dilip Ghosh slammed the state government and accused Banerjee of wilfully stopping the party's programmes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.