West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her displeasure over Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanta Soren campaigning in the State for the Assembly polls.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader started campaign for his party’s candidate in Jhargram, a tribal dominated area in south Bengal.
“I felt bad today that Hemant Soren came to Bengal to do politics. I participated in his swearing in ceremony,” Ms. Banerjee said at a political event at the Trinamool Congress headquarters. Ms Banerjee who is facing stiff challenge from the BJP is against parties opposed to BJP contesting in the State.
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“He (Mr Soren) should manage Jharkhand first before coming to Bengal. He came today because he wants candidates for his party. We gave the people education, food, everything and he wants votes, this will not happen,” Ms Banerjee said. She went on to say that her party can field candidates in Jharkhand that has a significant Bengali population.
During the day Ms Banerjee tried to reach out to ‘Hindi Bhasi (Hindi speaking)’ people of West Bengal and addressed a gathering at the TMC headquarters.
“BJP is now doing Bengali and non-Bengali divide because they know Hindu-Muslim politics will not work here. You all have the responsibility to give AITC ( All India Trinamool Congress) votes,” Ms. Banerjee said.
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The Chief Minister said was her government first to give Hindi the status of an official language in West Bengal. “Our government announced a two-day holiday for the pious Chhath Puja and also declared a holiday for Holi. We made Hindi University and Hindi Colleges, we are giving students scholarships and helping them establish in life, we will do more in the future, keep faith in us,” she said. The Chief Minister went on to count the IAS and IPS officers from the Hindi speaking States who have been given key responsibility in her government
Meanwhile, Trinamool MLA from Bally Vaishali Dalmiya who was suspended last week, hinted that she would join the BJP. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the State again over the weekend, and it is expected that some dissident Trinamool leaders may join the BJP during his visit.