In a bid to retain the Madarihat Assembly seat in the upcoming bypoll, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari urged women to support his campaign during an election rally in Madarihat today.
Addressing the crowd, Mr Adhikari said, “I appeal to everyone, especially the mothers, to lend your support for just 15 more months. We need to dislodge Mamata Banerjee’s government. The BJP will come to power in 2026, and once in office, we will raise allowances for all welfare schemes, from widow pensions to Lakshmir Bhandar, increasing them from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per month.”
Aligning with Darjeeling MP Raju Bista’s statements, Mr Adhikari highlighted the BJP’s commitment to healthcare, saying, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisions a medical college and hospital in every district. Alipurduar lacks these facilities. Once in power, we will establish a medical college here.”
He emphasised the backing of BJP candidate Rahul Lohar, endorsed directly by PM Modi, and called upon the people of Madarihat to strengthen the Prime Minister’s hand by supporting him. “Manoj Tigga has served Madarihat as an MLA since 2016. With your support, we’ll work to implement all central government schemes in this region,” he added.
The LoP criticised the state government on tea garden issues, drawing comparisons with the Assam government’s approach.
Mr Adhikari also criticised the Mamata Banerjee government for allegedly withholding a no objection certificate (NOC) needed for a railway overbridge (ROB) project in Birpara.
Referring to recent incidents of communal tension during Durga Puja in Bangladesh and sporadic events in Bengal, Mr Adhikari said, “When we come to power in Bengal in 2026, we will ensure the removal of all Rohingyas from the state. We won’t allow anyone to turn West Bengal into another Bangladesh.”