The people have lost trust in the government, West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday claimed that the BJP will bag 36 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in state. He also insisted that the TMC government in the state won't last after three months.
Mr Adhikari had made similar claims about the Mamata Banerjee government in the state earlier as well, pointing to which the TMC said there was no need to take his comments seriously.
The BJP leader's statement came two days after Ms Banerjee claimed that the BJP-led government at the Centre will last for six more months as the Lok Sabha polls will be held in February-March next year.
"Last time, the BJP had won 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state. This time, we will win at least 36 seats. The people have lost trust in the government. Mark my words, the TMC government won't survive after three months," he said while addressing a rally in the Purba Medinipur district.
Mr Adhikari had last year claimed that there would be a Maharashtra-like situation in opposition-ruled states, including West Bengal, and the TMC government would fall by December 2022.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the BJP leader was making such comments out of frustration.
"Adhikari's claim that the state government would fall by December 2022 should be questioned first. Now, he is again giving a three-month timeline. We would advise the people not to take his comments seriously as he is speaking out of political frustration," he said.
On Mr Adhikari's claim of BJP winning 36 seats from West Bengal, Mr Ghosh said the party should stop daydreaming.
"The BJP will be defeated across the country in the next Lok Sabha polls," he said.
Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to the state in April, set a target for the state BJP to win 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, and said the TMC government won't survive beyond 2025 if the goal was achieved.
The TMC came to power in West Bengal for a third consecutive term in 2021, and the government would complete its five-year tenure in 2026.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)