Trinamool stripped of its name and symbol, vote for BJP, says CM Suvendu in Rejinagar

Observing that the Trinamool Congress has been stripped of its name and symbol, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that the electors from the minority community in Rejinagar have an opportunity this bypoll to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Rejinagar will stand with the government in this bypoll. I am confident that the BJP candidate will emerge victorious. Communal polarisation will not work in Rejinagar this time. Minorities who didn’t vote for the BJP all these years have said they will not waste their votes in this election,” Mr. Adhikari said, addressing a public meeting at Rejinagar on Thursday.

The Chief Minister urged the electorate not to engage in ‘Hindu-Muslim politics’ and said that all nationalist forces should vote for BJP. Rejinagar, located in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, is a minority-dominated constituency, with 70% of voters being Muslims. Bypolls at Rejinagar and Nandigram are scheduled on October 6.

During his address the Chief Minister targeted the Trinamool Congress and said that within 150 days of the formation of a new government, both the party’s name and symbol would have disappeared.

With both the factions of the Trinamool Congress – one led by Mamata Banerjee and another by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee – staking a claim to the party’s name and symbol, the Election Commission had stayed both the name and symbol of the party. Ms. Banerjee has been allocated the symbol of a football player and the name of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, while the rebels have been granted the symbol of an envelope and the name of the Democratic Trinamool Congress.

The Chief Minister said that the split and “destruction” of the Trinamool Congress was the result of the “sins” it committed during the 15-year rule in West Bengal. He also accused the Trinamool Congress leadership of orchestrating communal riots across the State, including Murshidabad.

Mr. Adhikari also came down heavily on Aam Janata Unnayan Party founder Humayun Kabir over his recent remarks against where he had wished the death of the Chief Minister. The Rejinagar seat was vacated by Humayun Kabir. After being elected from both Naoda and Rejinagar, he vacated Rejinagar.

The AJUP founder’s son is contesting from the son and Mr. Kabir has alleged police excesses that have prevented him from campaigning in the assembly polls. “Those who wish death for others, nobody can prevent their doom,” Mr. Adhikari said.

The Chief Minister also took a swipe at the Left parties and Congress, who are contesting at Rejinagar and said that while Left parties have one MLA in the Assembly, Congress has two.

The BJP has fielded Sankharav Sarkar from Rejinagar and is hoping that a consolidation of Hindu votes and a split of Muslim voters will help the party win the by polls. Earlier while campaigning for Nandigram, Mr. Adhikari had made a similar appeal, saying that it was an opportunity for Muslim voters to support the government.