Political tensions intensified in West Bengal ahead of the May 21 repoll in the Falta Assembly constituency after BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya launched a blistering attack on the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), claiming the party had been “sent into exile” by the people of the state.
Campaigning for BJP candidate Debanshu Panda in Falta, Bhattacharya took a sarcastic swipe at TMC national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, questioning his absence from the campaign despite the constituency falling under his Lok Sabha seat.
“Police are not there, so the leaders are not there. There is no convoy, so there is no roar anymore. Please come to Falta and campaign. Our workers and district leadership will welcome you with flowers and blowing of conch shells,” Bhattacharya said while addressing party workers and supporters.
In a pointed jibe aimed at the TMC leader, he added, “We are missing you terribly. Please come.”
The Bengal BJP chief further mocked the ruling party, alleging that leaders who once spoke aggressively during elections had now “confined themselves indoors” following the party’s electoral setbacks. Referring indirectly to past campaign remarks by Abhishek Banerjee, Bhattacharya said those who once promised celebrations after election victories were now “playing harmonium and jal tarang inside their homes.”
A day before Bhattacharya’s remarks, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had also campaigned in Falta and claimed that the repoll would restore voter rights in an area where, according to him, people had been unable to vote freely for nearly a decade after Abhishek Banerjee’s rise in politics.
Expressing confidence in a BJP victory, Bhattacharya raised the party’s target margin for candidate Debanshu Panda to more than 1.25 lakh votes, surpassing the one lakh target earlier suggested by Suvendu Adhikari.
At the same time, the BJP leader attempted to reassure TMC workers and supporters, stating that they would be free to campaign without fear of violence. “Come out without hesitation, organise rallies and meetings. There will be no attack from the BJP’s side,” he said.
Bhattacharya also used the campaign to reach out to minority communities, asserting that the BJP had “no quarrel with ordinary minority citizens.” However, in a sharp warning directed at alleged troublemakers, he said people should not identify themselves as “Shah Jahan or Babur’s sons” and declared that “Suvendu Adhikari is now the chief minister.”
The BJP leader further claimed that South 24 Parganas had long remained a district known for migrant labourers and promised that a BJP government would create employment opportunities so people would no longer need to migrate in search of jobs.
He also stated that unlike previous governments, the BJP would not interfere in police functioning or run what he described as a “parallel government.” According to him, the administration under the BJP would function differently.
The repoll in Falta has become politically significant after the Election Commission countermanded the earlier election held on April 29 over allegations of large-scale irregularities, including claims of EVM tampering and voter intimidation.
The upcoming repoll is now being seen as a major prestige battle between the BJP and the ruling TMC in South 24 Parganas, a region that has witnessed intense political confrontation over the last several years.
