Sending across a clear message among party workers that the BJP will be routed in the next parliamentary elections in 2019, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the Trinamul Congress will show the country the way in the next elections.

Addressing an impressive gathering at the ‘North Bengal Political Workshop’ at the Kanchanjungha Stadium in Siliguri on Tuesday, Miss Banerjee spent most of her time in her address on BJP-bashing. The workshop was jointly organised by the Trinamul Youth Congress and Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) jointly.

She also thanked the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) for taking initiatives to maintain “peace and development” in the Hills that recently saw a fresh bout of Gorkhaland agitation. Miss Banerjee said she would be visiting Darjeeling after a long time on Wednesday.

The chief minister also took a dig at the Left Frontrun civic board in Siliguri for “non-performance.” “Being a constituent of the ruling NDA, Andhra Pradesh (ruling Telegu Desam Party) has expressed unhappiness over the union budget, and now it is thinking whether it will continue its support. I support their stand, I will support those states which face injustice.

It is a negative budget, and there was nothing for Bengal in the budget. Bengal is the worst sufferer in the budge. However, such ignorance and non-cooperation will not be able to force our heads down. A conspiracy is being hatched to remove Bengali community from Assam, but we had given people from there shelter in Jalpaiguri district when they fled during a riot.

In the elections in 2019, Bengal will show the way in India,” Miss Banerjee said. She also alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched from Assam to have riots in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in north Bengal, while “they” were planning to spread communal tension in North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda districts too. According to her, women activists would organise rallies between 6 and March in protest against the price hike of essential commodities.

Miss Banerjee is all set to go to Darjeeling on Wednesday to attend a police programme and chair an all-party meeting. “We have done a lot of development work for north Bengal. I am going to the Hills after a long time on Wednesday.

I want to convey my thanks and congratulate the GTA for ensuring peace and development work there,” she said. She appealed to the youth and student fronts of the party to strengthen themselves ahead of the polls. “You will not surrender before the money, corruption and politics of division.

You should strengthen the fronts at the block level and district level so that the opposition parties dot not get an opportunity to fight. A similar programme will be organised by the party’s women activists in Jalpaiguri. District- wise conventions of the Trinamul Youth Congress and the TMCP should be completed within April, but those programmes should be organised by keeping the examinations in mind so that the students are not disturbed,” Miss Banerjee said.

The chief minister, meanwhile, slammed the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC). “The CPIM- led board here has been unable to perform, while it only makes statements,” she said. Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya, however, said the only civic board run by the Left Front in the state had become a matter of concern for the CM.

“We have been performing in an unprecedented manner for the past three years, despite the tremendous obstacles and non-cooperation of the state government, else people would have taken to the streets against us,” Mr Bhattacharya said, when asked to react on the CM’s allegations.