Just as BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah today confidently claimed that his party will come to power in Bengal in 2021, veteran CPIM leader Asok Bhattacharya, who is the party’s state secretariat member, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, “knowingly or unknowingly,” has paved the way for the BJP to come to power in the state.

“Some activities of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the selection of inappropriate words for giving her statements, knowingly or unknowingly, has finally paved the way for the BJP to come to power in Bengal with ease,” Mr Bhattacharya said in his first reaction to Mr Shah’s virtual rally he held among state leaders today.

Showcasing the BJP’s dream to build a ‘Sonar Bangla,’ Mr Shah, addressing the virtual rally, which is being taken as the beginning of the party’s 2021 Assembly election campaigning amid the coronavirus fear, told Miss Banerjee that “her dream would come true.”

Miss Banerjee had recently told the Press at Nabanna: “I told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that if you think we are unable to tackle the Covid19 situation, you can deal with the matter…but he told me how we could dislodge an elected government.”

Showcasing some Central government schemes and achievements under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past six years, Mr Shah claimed: “A health insurance scheme for the people, Ayushman Bharat, will be implemented in the state within a minute of a BJP Chief Minister taking oath of office in Bengal.”

Darjeeling’s BJP MP Raju Bista, who watched the virtual rally in his Siliguri home, said: “Our people have the right to know the truth and rallies like these will help connect with the people directly, while the government of India has done everything to provide relief and support to the people of Bengal. In Bengal, the TMC has opposed every pro-people scheme of the Central government like Ayushman Bharat.”

“This was very well articulated by Amit ji today when he rightfully questioned Mamata ji-Do poor people of Bengal have no right to receive free and quality medical aid? Why is Ayushman Bharat scheme not allowed here? Mamata ji’s political games should not be played with the rights of the poor people,” Mr Bista said.

Commenting on the present political scenario, Mr Bhattacharya, who is also the former state urban development minister, said: “BJP is a dangerous political party. It aims to come to power in Bengal, which was ruled by communists, after coming to power in Tripura by dislodging a communist government there. Securing 18 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP is now a promising party that can come to power in Bengal. But to prevent the BJP, which is in power at the Centre with enough strength, Mamata Banerjee is not powerful enough now. She was powerful when she had become a mass leader between 2008 and 2011.”

According to him, Miss Banerjee is powerful as she banks on minority votes.

“Muslim votes are her capital till now, though she does not address their problems and fulfill their demands. She only bluffs them and creates panic among them, saying that the BJP will come to power. Finding no alternative, Muslims maintain unity and go in favour of Mamata Banerjee just to prevent the BJP,” Mr Bhattacharya, also the former Siliguri Mayor, said.

“If we want to bring them back we will have to practically hit the streets continuously on issue-based movements to prove that the Left, which has a long history of struggle and sacrifice with honesty, is an alternative to the BJP as well as the TMC,” Mr Bhattacharya said, adding, “To prevent the BJP, any political adjustment for the elections with the TMC, Congress and CPM is impossible and it would be more harmful.”

According to him, they will not be able to prevent the BJP even by branding it a communal party because of religious polarization. “When the common Rajbanshi and Matua people are in the BJP camp, Muslims are in the TMC camp. It is easy to unite Hindus as Muslims have united to beat the BJP. I think Mr Trump will win next time with the help of 70 percent white majority votes easily because black people, who are agitating in the USA, are a minority,” he added.