BJP slams TMC's Abhishek Banerjee over his remark on Bengal Panchayat polls

Darjeeling BJP MP and party youth general secretary Raju Bista has slammed Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee for saying that if anyone has difficulty in filing nominations, he would process it for them.

Raju Bista asked, "Who is Abhishek Banerjee? Is he the Prime Minister of India or the Chief Minister of the state?

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee made a statement where he said, "If anyone, be it from any party, has difficulty in filing a nomination for West Bengal Panchayat elections, I will process it for them".

Raju Bista recalled the 2018 panchayat elections and said, "Trinamool Congress-backed goons did not allow any opposition candidates to fill the nomination papers in 2018 Panchayat polls. They also threatened voters not to cast their votes."

"Request them to tell your party goons to stay at their home during the time of Panchayat only and then see, BJP will get the victory in massive votes everywhere in the state. The people of Bengal want to get freedom from Trinamool Congress," he added.

Over Trinamool Congress released Tripura election manifesto on Sunday, BJP MP Bista said, "Trinamool Congress will not get a single seat out of 60 seats in Tripura assembly. TMC will face the same situation in Tripura as the Aam Admi Party in Uttar Pradesh elections."

In the meeting addressed by a State observer held at the Siliguri district party office, he said that the BJP has always tried to strengthen the party and had shown the ability in the 2019 elections.

The West Bengal Panchayat polls are likely to be conducted in March 2023 and the state election commission will release a date list soon.

In 2018, the panchayat elections in West Bengal saw huge-scale clashes between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, resulting in the death of at least 12 people.

The Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and other parties of the Left Front also staged a protest outside State Election Commission in Kolkata against the incidents of violence.

Violence marred the West Bengal panchayat elections in 2018, as at least 12 people were killed. Three police personnel were also injured in the violence.