Abhishek Banerjee expresses anguish over public rejection in Bankura in 2019, 2021

Kolkata, April 12 Trinamool Congress' national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday expressed deep anguish over the back-to-back rejection of his party by the people of Bankura district, both in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Assembly polls.

Speaking at a public rally in the district on Wednesday, Banerjee even made it clear that similar rejection by the people of the district in the upcoming panchayat elections will prompt his party to refrain from hitting the streets in public interest.

"In 2019, you had turned your back on Trinamool Congress and elected the BJP from both the Lok Sabha seats in the district. Even in 2021, you had rejected us and gifted the BJP eight out of 12 Assembly seats in the district. But despite that, Trinamool did not move away from the people of Bankura and development works continued here.

"But we are also humans just like you. So, if you don't vote for your own rights in the 2023 panchayat elections, the Trinamool will also refrain from hitting the streets in support of your demands," the Trinamool Lok Sabha MP said at the rally.

He also claimed that despite winning both the Lok Sabha seats in the district in 2019, the two BJP MPs have remained incommunicado.

"Let the forthcoming (panchayat) elections not be fought in the name of religion. Let the elections be for establishing the rights of the people. Let the elections be against the denial of central funds to the state," Banerjee said.

Reacting to his comments, state BJP spokesman Samik Bhattacharya said that the election results in Bankura, both in 2019 and 2021, were reflections of the general grievance of the people of the district against Trinamool Congress.

"If the panchayat elections are held in a free and fair manner, BJP will form the board in the Bankura Zilla Parishad," Bhattacharya claimed.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya termed Banerjee's comments as "politically immature".