By PTI
TALDANGRA: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said that the upcoming assembly polls is about rejecting “outsiders” who are travelling to West Bengal from Delhi like daily passengers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The TMC, which has made ‘Bengali pride’ its core poll plank, has tagged the saffron party as a “party of outsiders” as its top leaders hail from outside the state.
“The daily passengers are claiming that they will make ‘Sonar Bangla’, but why could they not make golden Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh?,” Banerjee asked.
Abhishek, the nephew of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, said at an election rally here in Bankura district that the PM along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states have been embarking on daily visits to the state from the national capital to campaign for the BJP.
Highlighting that Mamata Banerjee has already turned the state into ‘Sonar Bangla’ by providing free education, health and ration to the people, the Diamond Harbour MP asked the voters to show gratitude by casting their votes in favour of TMC candidates.
Alleging that Modi did not keep his assurances like providing jobs and Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of people, the TMC leader said that the chief minister, however, has fulfilled all her promises.
He said, “the BJP does not have candidates of its own and waits for those thrown out by the TMC for nominating them”.
Accusing the BJP of copying the TMC’s manifesto, Banerjee said “They are stealing our leaders, manifesto and even songs.”
The TMC leader claimed that the BJP has promised ‘Annapurna Canteen’ for people by copying the concept TMC’s ‘Maa Canteen’ providing food at Rs 5 per plate, which has already been operationalised.
The BJP in its election manifesto gave an assurance that ‘Annapurna Canteens’ will be set up in the state to provide cooked food three times a day at Rs 5 per meal.
Claiming that the central government is selling off enterprises like Air India, Railways and BSNL, he said that “the BJP will sell off the assets of the state if it comes to power in Bengal.”
