Amit Shah sets 22 plus target for LS Polls in Bengal

Purulia: BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday sought to take the battle to the arch rival Trinamool Congress camp and set a target of 22 plus Lok Sabha seats for the saffron party for next year's general elections.

In 2014, the BJP won only Asansol and Darjeeling seats but in panchayat elections gained ground significantly emerging as number two to Trinamool in many places including Tribal belts of Purulia and Jhargram keeping Congress and the Left parties behind.

Addressing a party rally here organised to pay tributes to three martyred BJP workers, who were allegedly killed by Trinamool workers, Mr Shah said the sacrifice of the BJP workers will not go in vain and it will be difficult for Mamata Banerjee government to survive long.

"About 20 BJP workers have been killed and 1341 injured but if you think by this violence you can continue in office, you cannot," Mr Shah said adding "The sacrifice of our workers will not go in vain and Your government cannot survive for long."

He also met the family members of three slain BJP workers who were killed recently during panchayat polls.

The Trinamool Congress has, however, denied that the three deaths were related to politics.

In his speech, Mr Shah  accused Mamata Banejee-led regime of failing to bring development in the state and claimed poor women in Purulia district still have to walk 5 km for water.

Virtually unleashing the poll campaign and making the pitch high against Mamata Banerjee, who has also on her part tried to cobble together a front of regional parties against BJP and Prime minister Narendra Modi, the BJP president said, " We do not mind an alliance of opposition parties, but MamataBanerjee should focus on her state as she has been losing ground".

"Zamin khisak rahi hae - you are losing ground," he said."I challenge you Mamataji, we will soon dethrone your government," said Mr Shah at the rally also attended by BJP leaders Dilip Ghost, Rahul Sinha, Mukul Roy and Locket Chatterjee.

Moreover, playing to the local sentiment, the BJP chief said Bengal was once known for Rabindranath Tagore's music but the Rabindra Sangeet has been silenced by bomb culture. He said all factories have been closed in the state under Mamata and only the factories making crude bombs were working.

At the rally, BJP leaders raised slogans like  'EBAR Bangla, Chalo Paltai...This time Bengal, let us vote for change'.(UNI)