Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday released her party's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, promising an income scheme for all families, a student credit card and an increase in financial aid to small and marginal farmers.
The manifesto also promises the constitution of a task force to examine the inclusion of several communities under the OBC category.
Earlier in the day, the TMC supremo addressed back-to-back rallies in the Jhargram district, and again held the BJP responsible for her injury, alleging they wanted to keep her indoors before the polls.
Some BJP leader meanwhile, at a protest in Kolkata against alleged killings of party workers, appeared to mock the chief minister by holding a rally sitting in wheelchairs.
The chief minister had suffered an injury to her left leg at Nandigram on 10 March during a crowd surge as she greeted people from her vehicle with its door open, at a market area. Wheelchair-bound Mamta has been campaigning across the state since leaving the hospital last week.
Meanwhile, TMC demanded the cancellation of the nomination of former Mamata aide and now BJP's Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari, saying his name "seems to appear" in electoral rolls of both Haldia and Nandigram constituencies.
Mamata Banerjee unveils TMC manifesto
While unveiling the TMC manifesto, Banerjee said, "For the first time, every family in Bengal will be extended a minimum basic income. Under this, 1.6 crore general category families will get Rs 500 a month, whereas SC/ST category families will get Rs 1,000. The money will be directly transferred to the woman head of a family."
A new student credit card scheme will be introduced with a credit limit of Rs 10 lakh and an interest rate of only four percent, the West Bengal chief minister said.
"We will also set up 10 lakh new MSMEs and 2,000 new big industrial units in the next five years," she said.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Banerjee promised her government will create five lakh employment opportunities every year to halve the unemployment rate in the state and claimed that she will double the health and education budget.
Claiming that her government has reduced poverty in the state by 40 percent, the manifesto also promised to increase annual financial aid to farmers from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000.
She further said that the "Duare Sarkar" program will be held four months a year and free ration will be provided at doorstep, reported news agency ANI.
"We shall appoint a Special Task Force to examine and propose OBC status to all the communities which are not recognised as OBCs like Mahishya, Tili, Tamul and Sahas. We will also ask the Government of India to grant ST status to Mahatos," the TMC chief said.
A Special Development Board would be set up for the development of the Terai and Dooars region in north Bengal, she said.
According to a News18 report, Banerjee termed the manifesto as a “development-oriented manifesto," adding that it is a “manifesto of the people, for the people, and by the people.”
Taking to Twitter, the West Bengal chief minister said, the aim is to sustain Bengal as one of the leading states in the country. "All 10 ‘Ongikars’ (promises) are my personal commitment and I promise to deliver them to the people of Bengal," she said.
I humbly present my 10 ‘Ongikars’ to build a stronger & more prosperous Bengal so that the wheels of development keep moving forward in the third term of our government. The aim is just one, to sustain Bengal as one of the leading states in the country. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/K0xNtrt7GB
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 17, 2021
BJP cannot throttle my voice, says Mamata
Earlier, in the day, speaking at election rallies in Gopiballavpur and Lalgarh in the Jhargram district, Banerjee alleged that earlier it was CPM that used to physically attack her, and now the BJP was doing the same.
"I have been injured in my leg recently, earlier my head was fractured, my hands were broken, I had an operation in my stomach... I have been attacked all my life," she said.
"Earlier, CPM used to physically attack me, now BJP does the same," Banerjee alleged, claiming that the "harmads" (goons) of Left have now become "ustads" (ruffians) of BJP.
"They (BJP) wanted to keep me indoors so that I cannot go out during the elections. They have injured my leg," Banerjee said, addressing the election rallies sitting on a wheelchair.
"They cannot throttle my voice, we will defeat BJP," she said, urging the people of the region to vote for the TMC candidates.
Banerjee claimed that though the BJP won the Jhargram Lok Sabha seat in 2019, the party MP did nothing for the area. She mentioned the schemes launched by her government over the years, reaffirming that if voted to power she will ensure free doorstep delivery of ration.
Jhargram district, in the Junglemahal area in the western part of the state, witnessed a BJP wave in 2019 with the party winning four Lok Sabha seats in the region.
Lalgarh, once synonymous with Maoist insurgency, has witnessed rapid development over the last ten years, she said.
The Trinamool Congress chief said that from her party some "traitors who love money" also joined the BJP. "Vote for Trinamool if you want me. I can form the government if my candidates win, else I will not be able to do so," she said.
Banerjee accused the BJP of using money to bring people to its meetings and rallies, and vote for its candidates in the Assembly elections.
The chief minister alleged that though she wants to vaccinate the people of the state against COVID-19 free of cost, the Centre was not allowing her. The BJP promised ahead of the Bihar elections that it will vaccinate all people of the state for free, but it did not keep the promise, she said.
"BJP says we all are thieves and it is a saint, but the most corrupt party in the country is BJP," she said.
Banerjee alleged that law and order in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, whose Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has addressed some election rallies in Bengal, is in an abysmal state with atrocities against women being perpetrated.
"They (BJP) have brought a thousand ministers and leaders for the elections in the state," she said, alleging that the BJP is planning to bring hooligans to the state by trains on election days.
Raising the popular 'khela hobey' (game on) slogan, Banerjee asked the people of Jhargram, which will go to the polls in the first phase on 27 March, to play in such a way that the ball goes out of the ground.
"Today, I have come in pain but after winning, I will come again, walking on two legs," she said.
Banerjee also urged the Left supporters to vote in favour of the TMC in the battle against BJP, and not to "waste" their votes by giving them to the Left-Congress-ISF alliance candidates. The Left Front, the Congress and the newly-formed ISF have formed an alliance to fight the eight-phase elections in
West Bengal together.
At rallies in Jhargram and Binpur constituencies of Jhargram, which has a sizeable Adivasi population, Mamata claimed that the BJP
will not allow them to take the name of 'Marang Buru', whom the Santhals consider as the supreme source of power, but they will have to chant "Jai Shri Ram" (Glory to Lord Ram).
"They (BJP) are saying that you will not be able to practise your religion, you will have to chant Jai Shri Ram. But you will not be able to say Jai Siya Ram," Banerjee said.
"Ram performed the puja of Devi Durga (in the Ramayana). Maa Durga is much superior to Ram, that is why he worshipped Maa Durga," she said.
Apparently referring to the saffron party's allegation that the TMC is pursuing the politics of appeasement of minorities, Banerjee said her government works with the people of all religions and castes for the development of the state and accused the BJP of creating rifts between people on religious lines.
TMC demands cancellations of Suvendu Adhikari's candidature
Meanwhile, the TMC also upped its attack on BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Banerjee in Nandigram, with party MP Derek O'Brien demanding the cancellation of Suvendu's nomination from the constituency.
This comes just days after Adhikari, once a close aide of Banerjee, demanded the cancellation of the TMC supremo's nomination.
O'Brien in a letter to the Electoral Registration Officer of Nandigram Assembly constituency alleged that Adhikari's name "seems to appear" in the electoral rolls of both Nandigram and Haldia constituencies and this is not permitted as per Section 17 of the Representation of The People Act of 1951.
Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 mentions that no person shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for more than one constituency.
It also appears that Adhikari had filed an application for migration of his name from Haldia Assembly constituency to Nandigram constituency, the TMC MP said, by providing "false particulars of his residence".
He claimed that this became evident as Adhikari was found to be "absent" at the time of field visit by a booth level officer (BLO) for verification. The TMC MP claimed that Adhikari has not resided at Nandanayakbar village, which falls under Nandigram constituency, over the past six months, "let alone being a permanent resident thereof".
"As per Section 19 of the RP Act, only a person who is 'ordinarily resident' in a constituency may be registered as a voter in the electoral rolls of such constituency. Hence he is not entitled to 'migration' and his migration is bad in law," the letter read.
The TMC leader said the Electoral Registration Officer should forthwith delete the name of Adhikari from the electoral roll of the Nandigram Assembly constituency and urged that appropriate legal action, including criminal proceedings, be initiated against him.
"The nomination paper submitted by Adhikari from Nandigram constituency be also struck down," he added.
Sisir Adhikari to attend Modi's Contai rally, says Suvendu
Amid speculations of TMC MP Sisir Adhikari switching over to the saffron party, his son Suvendu at a rally in Chandipur claimed Sisir will be attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Contai, reported India Today.
Suvendu further added that he will ask his father to attend Amit Shah’s rally as well, the report said.
According to a report in the Indian Express, Sisir claims to have disassociated with the TMC.
“Who said I am still with Trinamool? The ruling party leaders have been abusing my family since last December. People of Midnapore know if we are selfish or selfless. They know the sacrifices we’ve made. If my son has said so, I will go (to Modi’s meeting)," the report quoted Sisir as saying.
According to news agency PTI, two days ago Sisir had said he will attend Modi's public meeting on 20 March if invited.
Modi is scheduled to address rallies in West Bengal and Assam on Thursday (18 March). The prime minister tweeted on Wednesday:
Glad to be getting the opportunity to be among my sisters and brothers of West Bengal tomorrow, 18th March. I would be addressing a rally in Purulia. Across West Bengal, there is a desire for change. BJP’s agenda of good governance is striking a chord among the people.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 17, 2021
BJP holds rally in Kolkata
The BJP meanwhile took out a rally in Kolkata, with five of its members in wheelchairs apparently mocking Banerjee, who has taken to campaigning that way after being injured in Nandigram. The procession moved from Rabindra Sadan to Hazra crossing, a distance of about 2.5 km, to protest against the alleged killing of BJP activists in West Bengal.
Hazra crossing is incidentally near Banerjee's residence in the city.
With inputs from agencies
March 17, 2021 at 11:06PM
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