BJP’s poll outcome in Bengal will be in line with countrywide trend — Tripura CM Manik Saha

KOLKATA/AGARTALA — In line with the countrywide trend, the BJP will do even better in West Bengal this time than the 2019 parliamentary elections, Tripura Chief Minister claimed after accompanying Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar who filed his nominations for the Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency in South Dinajpur district on Wednesday.

The BJP won 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in 2019, marking a vast improvement from the two seats it had won in 2014.

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The West Bengal BJP chief is up against Trinamool Congress’ Biplab Mitra in Balurghat.

After participating in a rally, the Tripura Chief Minister said the BJP’s electoral prospects in West Bengal look very good this time, as he predicted an excellent outcome for the party in line with the countrywide trend.

Expressing optimism that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP will win 400 seats along with its allies this time, Saha emphasised the significance of West Bengal in shaping the national political landscape.

“What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow,” he told the media.

Criticising the ruling Trinamool Congress and its predecessor, the CPI-M led Left Front, Saha accused them of fostering a culture of political violence in Bengal.

Saha also attributed the poll violence in Bengal to the legacy of CPI-M’s 34-year rule in the state, as he alleged that the Trinamool has only exacerbated the situation.

He also called for a peaceful electoral process, drawing a contrast with the political environment in Tripura, where the “flags of the BJP, Congress, and CPI-M coexist peacefully”.

“Elections should be celebrated like a festival,” Saha said, underscoring the need for a harmonious and inclusive democratic process.