Union Minister Smriti Irani slams Mamata Banerjee, says CM 'not interested in development'

At a time campaigning for the Bhabanipur by-polls in West Bengal is in high swing, Union Minister Smiriti Irani on Saturday, September 25, slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not being concerned about the development of the constituency and contesting only for her own personal agenda. Irani called upon people to cast their votes without fear.

During her door-to-door campaign in support of Priyanka Tibrewal, the BJP's candidate for Bhabanipur, Smriti Irani told reporters that Bhabanipur is a constituency where people of different communities have resided for a long time but has witnessed no development since 2011 under the chief ministership of Mamata Banerjee.

"What development work has she undertaken in Bhabanipur? People in several parts of the constituency are living under stressful living conditions. Mamata didi is not interested in the development of these people. She is only concerned about her getting elected as MLA so that she may continue as the chief minister," Union Minister Smriti Irani.  

TMC on Irani's remarks

Responding to Irani's statements, Firhad Hakim, a state minister and one of the key campaigners for Banerjee, said "Smriti Irani is a tourist politician who has no roots in Bhabanipur."

He added, "Smriti Irani was a talented TV actor who joined politics. She may have made a mark as a politician, but she has no idea about the ground situation, no connect with the people of Bhabanipur who trust Mamata didi (and) not her". 

Hakim accused the BJP of merely staging 'drama' after finding no support in the constituency.

TMC came to power in West Bengal with a landslide victory in this year's Assembly polls. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost to her former aide Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram. She, now, needs to win the Bhabanipur seat to retain her chief ministership.  

TMC, BJP trade barbs against each other

On September 18, after BJP leader Babul Supriyo joined the TMC, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had said that in the coming days more BJP workers will join the ruling party as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is "just a gas balloon with no ideology."

Kunal Ghosh had told ANI, "Many BJP leaders are in communication with TMC leadership. They are not satisfied with BJP. Babul Supriyo joined today, another wants to join tomorrow. This process will go on. Wait and watch." He added, "Nobody can adjust in their anti-people policies that is the reason people are leaving the party".

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, however, said that Babul Supriyo's switch to the TMC is not a loss for the party. "Not like Babul Supriyo is a mass leader," Adhikari had said.

(With inputs from PTI, Image: PTI)