BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya today said in Siliguri that the plan of the TMC to earn sympathy has been ‘exposed.’

The BJP has said attempts of the Trinamul Congress to gain sympathy with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s alleged attack and injuries has backfired.

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Banerjee was injured as she campaigned in Nandigram on 10 March. She had alleged that she was targeted by a group of ‘four or five people’, who had pushed her.

“People of Nandigram are saddened as she had blamed the locals for the incident. They are saying it was not a deliberate attack but an accident. I have been involved in politics of Bengal for the past six years and I understand that no one will dare attack her. The chief minister is covered by at least 200 policemen, so how could one pushed her, sneaking into the security cordon? If it is believed then whose failure is it and who should be blamed? They actually wanted to gain sympathy with this which, however, it triggered opposite results. They have been exposed now,” Vijayvargiya said.

The Trinamul Congress called the incident a ‘deeprooted conspiracy,’ alleging that the attack was ‘premeditated.’

Taking on questions that a six-member delegation of the ruling party submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the alleged attack on Banerjee, the BJP leader said the ECI does not look into the law and order situation in the state.

According to him, BJP candidate from Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari will win the election by more than 50,000 votes.

Mithun ‘no’to contesting polls

According to Vijayvargiya, actor Mithun Chakraborty does not want to contest the upcoming Assembly elections. He, however, said the party will talk to him again on this. “We have requested Mithun Chakraborty, but he said he did not want to contest the elections. However, we will again discuss the issue with him,” Vijayvargia said. Chakraborty joined the BJP at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata on 7 March.

GJMM leaders join BJP

Vijayvargiya sidestepped questions on the demand for Gorkhaland in the Hills. He said the BJP was committed to the ‘permanent political solution’ for the Hills.

BJP candidates Jaswant Singh and SS Ahluwalia had won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and 2014 respectively, with Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s support, and a separate state of Gorkhaland was the main demand. BJP’s 2019 candidate Raju Bista too won the Darjeeling MP seat riding high on the pro-Gorkhaland sentiments.

Meanwhile, four central committee leaders from the GJMM (Bimal Gurung camp)- Bishal Lama, Navin Chhetri, Niraj Rai and Deo Kumar Rai joined the BJP today.