Nadda asks party workers to continue fight against TMC's 'state-sponsored terror' in Bengal

BJP national president J P Nadda Monday urged party workers to continue their fight against "state-sponsored terror" by the TMC government in West Bengal and exuded confidence of winning the 2021 assembly polls in the state. Nadda, who was on a day-long visit to Siliguri to take stock of organisational matters ahead of the assembly election, held separate meetings with the saffron party leaders of north Bengal and social groups.

Both the meetings were closed door and the media was not allowed inside. At the organisation meeting, Nadda exuded confidence that the saffron party would form the next government in the state.

"We have discussed various issues related to the coming assembly polls and other organisational aspects in north Bengal. He (Nadda) has asked the party workers to continue the fight against state-sponsored terrorism of TMC in Bengal," a senior state BJP leader said after the organisational meeting.

Nadda lauded the party workers for continuing their fight against the TMC misrule in the state, he said. The saffron party has made deep inroads in north Bengal, once considered a bastion of the Congress and the TMC, bagging seven out of eight Lok Sabha seats in the region in 2019 general election. North Bengal, which comprise eight districts, accounts for 54 of the 294 assembly seats.

"Naddaji took reports on all the 54 assembly seats in the area. The local leadership has been asked to create awarenesss about the pro-people policies of the Centre and the anti-people policies, atrocities and corruption of the state government," the BJP leader said.

Later he also held a meeting with various social groups of the region. This was Nadda's first visit to the state since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. After decades of limited presence in the politically polarised state, the BJP emerged as the main rival of the ruling TMC in 2019 winning 18 of 42 Lok Sabha seats. With the BJP's strength increasing manifold over the last few years in Bengal, where it has never been in power, the party's leaders have expressed confidence that the saffron surge will end Mamata Banerjee's decade-long rule in the state. Assembly polls are likely to be held in Bengal in April-May next year.