BJP today described the ruling CPI(M) and Opposition Trinamool Congress in West Bengal as “two sides of the same coin”, while asserting that it was going to fight in nearly all the seats for the upcoming Assembly elections.
“We are going to fight in almost all the seats in West Bengal,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley said on the sidelines of the party’s national office-bearers’ meet in Kolkata.
“We regard the CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress as two sides of the same coin. CPI(M) has run the State to the ground and there is no industry, huge unemployment and public discontent,” BJP central observer Chandan Mitra said.
He said the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal had done nothing for the development of the State in its 34-year rule.
“But at the same time, the Trinamool Congress has behaved erratically and has not been able to come up with a roadmap for the future.”
Mr. Mitra claimed that “hooligans and other criminal elements of CPI(M) have now joined the ranks of opposition Trinamool Congress.”
It is a choice between the devil and the deep sea, he said.
“We resolve to establish our presence in the coming elections,” Mr. Mitra said, adding the meet discussed the tactics and strategy that the party would follow in the elections to the five states of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.
Flaying the Congress over talks with ULFA, he said, “This could have been done five years back.
“Congress has a deal with the ULFA before every election in Assam. Now this has come in the open. We believe in peace and want it but it should not be opportunistic and election-related as is happening now.”
Mr. Mitra said the party hoped to do well in the Assam Assembly elections, stating that “BJP will be considerably strengthened given the vote polarisation in the state.”
The meeting of the office-bearers discussed reports by the in-charge of party affairs in the poll-bound states, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.
She said it was also decided to hold a meeting of office-bearers on February 22 in Delhi on the upcoming Budget sessions in different States, particularly the BJP-ruled ones.
Stating that special stress would be given on ‘Antodya Scheme’ for upliftment of poor, she said, “There will be a high accent on Antodya.”
Elections for the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly are due in May.
