Biswabrata Goswami
Krishnagar, 20 May: In a strong message to leaders allegedly engineering defections in rural bodies, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya on Wednesday warned that even MLAs would face disciplinary action if they attempted to alter panchayat power equations in the state.
At the same time, Mr Bhattacharya sought to project the newly-formed BJP government’s development roadmap, promising a second AIIMS in North Bengal, a revival of Bengal’s “collapsed” healthcare system, and a fresh industrial push aimed at attracting both foreign investment and Non-Resident Indians back to the state.
Launching a sharp attack on the previous regime, Mr Bhattacharya who came in Kalyani to attend a programme held at Kalyani AIIMS, alleged that West Bengal’s healthcare system had been crippled by “political monopoly” and punitive transfers of doctors over the years. “Before the election, we promised modern education and healthcare. The government has just been formed. Give us some time. The entire healthcare system will be freed from political control,” he said.
The BJP leader’s remarks come amid a political storm over allegations that Trinamul Congress panchayat pradhans in several districts were being forced to resign under pressure from BJP workers. Distancing the party from such developments, Mr Bhattacharya said those involved were “not real BJP workers” but “four-hour BJP members”.
“What you are witnessing is the result of Trinamul Congress’s internal factional feud,” he claimed. “The BJP is not in favour of bringing down any elected government or elected body. This is not our path.”
In one of his strongest warnings yet, Mr Bhattacharya said disciplinary action would spare nobody within the organisation. “No matter how big a leader he is — even if it is an MLA — if anyone changes panchayat structures in violation of party principles, action will be taken against them,” he asserted.
Seeking to underline the Centre’s commitment to Bengal, Mr Bhattacharya announced that North Bengal would soon get a second AIIMS. Describing Bengal as the “gateway to Northeast India”, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government wanted to restore the state’s lost industrial and economic glory.
“Once Bengal contributed significantly to the global GDP during British India. Such a prosperous Bengal cannot remain backward today,” he said.
Mr Bhattacharya also made a direct appeal to NRIs from Bengal who have established businesses abroad, urging them to invest in the state. “Come back. Bengal will provide an investment-friendly environment,” he said, stressing that the younger generation demanded jobs, industrial growth and “international-quality education”.
Calling for a shift away from what he termed a “hyper-political society”, the BJP leader said no state could prosper without industry, foreign direct investment and Special Economic Zones. “Give the government one year. It has not even been a month since we took charge. Everything will change,” he declared.
Referring to the politically sensitive re-poll in Falta, Mr Bhattacharya claimed the election was made possible because “ordinary people came out on the streets demanding democracy”. He alleged that voters, particularly Hindus, had earlier been prevented from casting their votes.
In a provocative swipe at the opposition All India Trinamul Congress, Mr Bhattacharya said: “The situation has become such that Trinamul has nobody left to put up its flags, and BJP has nobody left to take them down.”
