Bengal Assembly Election: Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to Bengal ahead of polls in April-May next year
Union Home Minister Amit Shah kickstarted his two day visit to Bengal today by declaring he sensed "massive public anger" against Mamata Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress. The "death knell" of the Trinamool had been rung, he claimed and pitched for a BJP government- elections are due next year - and make the "Shonar Bangla (golden Bengal)" dream come true.
Criticising the Mamata Banerjee government for denying Bengal access to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's welfare schemes, Mr Shah predicted a two-third majority for the BJP in next year's polls.
"Since last night (Wednesday) I am in West Bengal and can sense the massive public anger against the Mamata Banerjee government. The death knell of Mamata Banerjee's regime has rung," Mr Shah told reporters at an event in the state's Bankura district.
"We will form the next government in Bengal with a two-third majority. We are confident of bringing change to the state under the leadership of Narendra Modi," he added, speaking in the key Jangalmahal area - which is dominated by a tribal population and was once overrun by Maoists.
"Mamata didi thinks she can block the BJP by blocking PM Modi's schemes for the poor," he said, referring to the PM-KISAN and Ayushman Bharat programmes.
Mr Shah's visit has been dismissed as a "political stunt" by Trinamool leaders, including Ms Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee. The Lok Sabha MP asked Mr Shah to speak up on "actual issues", referring to "atrocities" against marginalised communities in BJP-ruled UP.
In his tweet Mr Banerjee referred specifically to the alleged gang rape and torture of a Dalit woman in UP's Hathras and advised Mr Shah to focus less on "fake appeasement meals".
Mr Shah had lunch today with a tribal family in Bankura. The meal has been dismissed as a "political stunt" by the Trinamool, which pointed to a similar programme in 2016.
On Wednesday, before Mr Shah came, Ms Banerjee granted land rights to 25,000 refugee families and said a total of 1.25 lakh families would be given rights - an announcement made a year ago.
"This land right document will act as proof you are a citizen of this country. No one can take away your citizenship," she said, while also allotting Rs 5 crore for the Matua Development Board.
The Matua community from erstwhile East Pakistan, which voted BJP in 2019, wants citizenship under the CAA and has pitched from its fast implementation. Mr Shah plans to share a meal with a Matua family in Kolkata on Friday.
Forming the Bengal government has been a long-standing target of the BJP, which has never ruled the state, particularly after a bitterly-fought campaign with the Trinamool ahead of last year's Lok Sabha election. The BJP recorded strong gains in the parliamentary polls, winning 18 seats (up from just two in 2014) of 42 seats, and is now a real threat to Ms Banerjee and her third straight term.
Sources say Mr Shah's two-day visit visit to Bengal (Thursday and Friday) will focus on reshaping and rejuvenating the party's organisational structure ahead of state polls expected in April-May.
With input from PTI