Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on September 2 lashed out at the Opposition INDIA bloc, claiming that the constituents were disunited and their leaders were issuing contradictory statements.
Speaking to reporters at Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, the Medinipur MP said that efforts to unite anti-BJP parties were failing as many parties "do not have the courage" to come forward and join the Opposition bloc.
"Just after a recent meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc, their leaders are issuing contradictory statements. They are making efforts to bring all anti-BJP parties together but many such outfits are not coming forward out of fear. In fact, none can face Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone," he said.
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Mr. Ghosh was visiting Dhupguri Assembly seat, where a by-election is scheduled to be held on September 5, to hold door-to-door campaign and meet a representative body of businessmen.
The BJP leader alleged that Congress and CPI(M) leaders were sacrificing their ground-level workers to protect their lawmakers.
In an apparent reference to the TMC Government in the State, he claimed, "Political murders are being committed, women are being tortured in the State but your [CPI(M) and Congress] leaders are sipping tea with their [TMC] leaders." "Elections are being won in the State through the force of police and use of money. People want to be freed from it. This will be proved in the 2024 general elections," Mr. Ghosh said.
Batting for 'one nation, one election', the former BJP State president said that the entire administrative machinery in the State is busy with some election or the other throughout the year, because of which common people are deprived of services.
"This is why we want Assembly and Lok Sabha polls to be held together," he said.
Mr. Ghosh said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's promises to make Dhupguri a sub-division and Jaigaon town a municipality has not yet materialised.
The by-election to the Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA Bishnu Pada Roy on July 25. Votes will be counted on September 8.
The TMC has fielded college professor Nirmal Chandra Roy, while the BJP has nominated Tapasi Roy, widow of a CRPF jawan killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021. The CPI(M) has fielded folk singer Ishwar Chandra Roy and Congress will extend support to him.
