BJP to organise 'Paribartan Yatras' in Bengal ahead of assembly polls

The twoparties have been reduced to virtual non-entities here. During the 2016 assembly elections, the twoparties had stitched an alliance and bagged 76 seats.However, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the twoparties had fought separately and while the Congress won twoseats, the Left Front, which ruled the state from 1977-2011,drew a blank.Leaders of the TMC have called upon the Congress andthe Left to join the battle against the BJP as they arescared to face us alone.

With an eye on the forthcomingassembly elections in West Bengal in the next few months, theBJP is set to take out 'Paribartan Yatras' across the state, asenior party leader said on Sunday.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told a press meethere that the yatras with a message of 'paribartan' (change)will be held in different zones to bolster the party's connectwith people before the polls.

Elections to the 294-member state assembly are due inApril-May.

''We had wanted to bring out similar 'Jan SamparkAbhijan' across the state two and half years back but were notallowed by the administration. This time before the electionsour 'Paribartan Yatras' will strengthen the ties of the BJPwith people of Bengal, who are angry with the corruptTrinamool Congress (TMC) regime,'' Ghosh said.

A senior party leader said, the rallies will be takenout in five zones, each to be led by a central leader of thesaffron party.

Talking to reporters after day-long deliberatons amongstate party leaders about the future strategy to fight thepolls, Ghosh said, booth committees will be formed everywhereby January 31.

''Our aim is to strengthen booth-level organisations,''he said.

Among others BJP Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya,leaders Babul Supriyo, Kolkata observer Sovan Chatterjeeattended the organisational meeting.

State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said, partyworkers will reach out to every household to campaign for 'AarNoy Annyay' (Misdeeds won't be accepted any more) before thepolls.

Asked about the appointment of TMC MP Satabdi Roy asvice-president of the state unit of the ruling TrinamoolCongress shortly after she voiced her grievances over thestate of affairs in the party, Ghosh said, ''with leadersdeserting the party, the TMC is frantically trying to pleasethe dissenters by offering them posts.'' Faced with disintegration and ''civil war withinitself'', the TMC is ''desperately'' bringing the names of iconssuch as Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda to attackthe BJP now and again and harping on the issue of Bengaliheritage, Ghosh said.

On seat-sharing talks between the Left Front and theCongress, the BJP leader said ''everyone knows what happened tothe seat sharing alliance between them in 2016 assembly polls.

How many seats had they won? Even in 2019 Lok Sabha polls theLeft and the Congress could not make much dent. The twoparties have been reduced to virtual non-entities here.'' During the 2016 assembly elections, the twoparties had stitched an alliance and bagged 76 seats.

However, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the twoparties had fought separately and while the Congress won twoseats, the Left Front, which ruled the state from 1977-2011,drew a blank.

Leaders of the TMC have called upon the Congress andthe Left to join the battle against the BJP as ''they arescared to face us alone. By such antics they are only exposingthemselves before the people of the state'', he said.

Asked about comments by TMC strongman in BirbhumAnubrata Mondal to ''beat up the BJP and throw them away beyondboundaries (thengiye pagarpar),'' Ghosh said, ''the people ofBirbhum will give a befitting reply to Mondal''.

BJP leaders claimed that around 200 TMC workers fromSouth 24 Parganas district joined the saffron party on Sunday.

PTI SUSMM MM