Central dues to Bengal: Mamata for block-level stir against local BJP leaders

The central dues to the West Bengal government under various heads will be Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's main agenda to develop a broader anti-BJP sentiment in the state where the target will be the local BJP leaders.

Addressing a public rally at the erstwhile Maoist-infested district of Purulia on Tuesday, the chief minister said that since the Central dues to Bengal is the greatest barrier in accelerating the pace of development projects in the state, there is a need for block level agitation, where common people will put pressure on the local BJP leaders to ensure the clearance of the Central dues.

"I ask my Trinamool Congress workers to break out of their slumber and reach out to the people. Organise block-level protests over the Union government's reluctance to clear dues under various heads. I request the people to constantly ask the local BJP leaders to coordinate with their Central leadership and ensure that the Central dues are cleared at the earliest," the chief minister said on Tuesday.

Incidentally, Purulia district had been a weak point for the Trinamool Congress since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In 2019, the BJP candidate, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahatao emerged as a victor by defeating the Trinamool Congress candidate, Dr Mriganko Mahato by over 2,00,000 votes.

Even in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly, despite bagging a landslide victory, Purulia district continued to be a point of pain for the Trinamool Congress. In 2021, out of the nine Assembly constituencies in the district, BJP candidates emerged as the victor in six continues, while Trinamool had to be satisfied with win in three constituencies.

Speaking on the consecutive poor results of the party in Purulia district since 2019, the chief minister, while addressing the public rally admitted that the people discarded her party there because of the wrong approach of the local Trinamool Congress leaders.

"Our people made several mistakes here and hence the local people went away from us. But after managing victories exploiting that negative sentiment among the people about Trinamool Congress, the elected BJP Lok Sabha members and MLAs just became inaccessible to the people," the chief minister said.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that the chief minister has indirectly insisted the people top badger local BJP leaders with the demands of the immediate release of the Central dues to the state government. On May 19, 2022, while addressing a public rally at West Midnapore district, she made a similar appeal to the people. Like Purulia, West Midnapore district too was an erstwhile Maoist stronghold, which shifted towards the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.