Asansol (West Bengal) [India], April 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that only a BJP-NDA government can restore Asansol's industrial strength and break free from "mafia rule", calling the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government "ruthless".
Addressing a public rally here, PM Modi said, "This election is not just about changing the government. This is an election to restore Asansol's old industrial strength. This is an election to break free from mafia rule. Only the BJP-NDA government can accomplish this task."
PM Modi alleged the mismanagement and corruption under successive governments, including Congress, the Left, and TMC.
"Over the past several decades, Bengal has tried trusting every party. But all of them have only betrayed the people of Bengal, crushed the dreams of Bengal's people into the dust, trampled the future of Bengal's people. That's why people no longer want to rely on mere words; the people of Bengal now want to judge based on actions and track records. The strongest track record of developing Bengal and advancing it on the path of progress lies only with the BJP," PM Modi said.
Focusing on the region's economic decline, he stated, "Asansol is a vast area of the coal belt, yet under the TMC regime, this entire trade has been seized by syndicates. Coal black-marketing, the coal mafia, and the sand mafia, along with the land mafia - all of these elements have become a heavy burden upon this entire region. The youth of this area are being forced to leave their homes and migrate elsewhere. This is the plight of the entire state of Bengal."
Focusing on Bengal's economic decline, the Prime Minister added, "Our India is a family comprising 144 crore citizens, wherein the various states constitute vital parts of that family. The more these states earn, the greater the collective income of this vast national family becomes. When our country attained independence, if the total national income of India stood at 100 rupees, Bengal alone contributed 11 or 12 rupees to that figure. However, the successive regimes of the Congress and the Left Front here utterly destroyed and devastated everything. In 2011, when you gave the TMC an opportunity, Bengal's share in the national income had already plummeted to a mere 6 rupees."
"You had placed your trust in the TMC, believing they would rectify the situation, but TMC has crossed every conceivable boundary of cruelty and ruthlessness against the people of Bengal. The income of the common Bengali is steadily declining, while the bungalows of TMC MLAs and TMC ministers and TMC syndicate are growing larger and larger," the PM added.
PM Modi assured voters that a BJP government after May 4 would address every problem in the region.
"I assure you that after May 4, the ruthless government will go, and the BJP government will come. Every single problem in this area will be resolved by our government," he said.
The polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
In the last assembly election in the state, held in eight phases in 2021, the Trinamool Congress recorded a landslide victory with 213 seats amid an intense contest with the BJP, which jumped to 77 seats. Congress and Left Front drew a blank in the last state polls.