Amit Shah: BJP should win Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal

On Wednesday, 27th June 2018, BJP national president Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata for a two-day tour where he addressed the state BJP to freely flow for next year’s Lok Sabha polls and win not less than 22 of the 42 seats in West Bengal. He appeared very focused and advised party leaders and left no formality when it came to even delivering instructions in regard to prepare for a ‘Bengal Yatra’ before the polls. Shah said there will be no excuses tolerated and continued with having a meeting with the party’s election management team at the Port Guest House, after which he spoke at a closed-door social media convention. In the evening, he had a meeting with ‘vistaraks’.

Sayantan Basu, BJP state secretary said “Our party president made it clear that we will have to go all out for all Lok Sabha seats and must win in at least half… People here are ready for a change and not happy with the Trinamool Congress, which is not even allowing people to vote.”

Shah was particular about stating that with the way Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party were “targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, there was no question of a compromise or understanding with TMC. Shah’s statement was in reference to some rumours highlighted by BJP leaders over little activity by investigating agencies in the Sarada and Narada scams. Covering all 42 seats in the state, BJP leaders have been asked to prepare for a Bengal Yatra, Keeping the Lok Sabha polls in mind.

A senior BJP leader conveyed, “He clearly stated that no excuses will be accepted”. In fact senior party leaders claimed Shah came down heavily on state leaders and urged them to have a result-oriented approach in Bengal.

Along with Basu, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly were also present at the meeting.

Shah said the Congress had neglected the ideals of author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and censored part of Vande Mataram to suit its appeasement policy. He stated this when he was delivering the first Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay Memorial Lecture, organised by the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation. According to him, this led to Partition.

Also read: Amit Shah eyes on half of Bengal for 2019 Lok Sabha elections