Kolkata: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday exuded confidence of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in the upcoming two-phased Assembly elections in West Bengal and said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has “already lost her ground” in the poll-bound state.
Pradhan was in Baranagar on the last day of campaigning before the first phase of the Assembly polls in West Bengal on April 23.
Speaking to reporters during his rally, the Union Minister stressed that elections in West Bengal should be conducted in a “fair and impartial” manner.
Ramping up BJP’s attack on Chief Minister Banerjee, Pradhan said, “The political ground has already slipped beneath Mamata Banerjee. She has not worked for the people and has misled and deceived them. That is why people have turned against her.”
“Mamata Banerjee is afraid to lose. She constantly abuses constitutional establishments,” he alleged.
He also reacted to the Trinamool Congress supremo labelling the BJP as “outsiders” in the state.
“All those contesting elections here belong to Bengal, Kolkata, and Baranagar,” Pradhan said.
Referring to the Malda incident where judicial officers were allegedly held hostage, Union Minister Pradhan said, ” She (Mamata Banerjee) had herself reached the Supreme Court. The apex court had assured to address her apprehension (with the SIR process) by sending judges to oversee it.”
“Then when judges were sent, the sinful act of ‘gheraoing’ them was done by the Trinamool Congress,” he alleged.
The Union Minister also said that the current law and order situation in West Bengal is not good.
“The law and order in the state has to be worked on and for that to happen the government needs to be changed,” Pradhan said.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also campaigned in the state on the last day before the silence period comes into affect.
During his public meeting in Darjeeling, Home Minister Shah said that a permanent political solution in the hills scattered over Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong in North Bengal will be achieved by next month if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal.
The Home Minister emphasised that since the BJP understands the sentiments and problems of the Gorkha population, none other than their party would be able to solve their problems.
(IANS)
