Kolkata: Against the backdrop of continuous incidents of violence and deaths during rural polls in West Bengal, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a bold claim on Sunday, stating that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government will collapse within the next five to six months.
Speaking to the media ahead of the party's organisational meeting, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar emphasised the dynamic nature of politics, saying, "A government is sustained by the support of MLAs. In politics, anything can happen. MLAs can withdraw their support or engage in a larger agitation against the functioning of the Mamata government. There is a possibility that the ruling government may collapse in the next five to six months."
The saffron camp has been vocal in demanding the implementation of Article 355 in response to the incidents of violence. Party MP John Barla recently stated that elections would not be feasible without the implementation of Article 355. Additionally, the state BJP president met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise him of the situation. Following the meeting, Majumdar expressed confidence that the central government would take appropriate measures to curb violence in West Bengal.
Union Minister Shantanu Thakur also joined in predicting the collapse of the ruling TMC government within the next five months.
The BJP's claims of a possible government collapse and concerns over violence during rural polls underscore the tense political climate in West Bengal. As the situation continues to unfold, political dynamics and developments in the state will be closely monitored by both the BJP and the ruling TMC government.
SEC failed in Bengal: BJP
The State Election Commission (SEC) in West Bengal has faced criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its alleged failure to conduct the recent rural polls impartially. According to BJP leaders, had there been no violence during the polls, the party would have secured at least 10 percent more seats.
"The way the recent rural polls were conducted, the State Election Commission has failed to perform its duty of being impartial. Had there been no violence, the BJP would have secured at least 10 percent more seats," stated a BJP representative.
In response to BJP's claims, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) stated that it is not the Bengal government but the BJP-led central government that will collapse within the next five to six months.
"The BJP leaders are discussing the collapse of the TMC government to please the central government. Earlier, Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the TMC government would fall in December last year or January this year, but nothing has materialized," added Shantanu Sen, a TMC Rajya Sabha MP.
TMC MLA expresses concern over ongoing violence in state
Meanwhile, dissenting TMC MLA of Islampur, Abdul Karim Chowdhury, expressed his concerns over the ongoing violence and threatened to withhold support for bills introduced by the state government in the Legislative Assembly if the violence does not cease.
"The widespread violence must stop. I have visited independent candidates affected by the violence and witnessed their condition. If the violence persists, I will neither vote for Rajya Sabha nor support any bills presented by the state government," commented the dissenting TMC MLA.
As tensions rise between the BJP and TMC, the political landscape in West Bengal remains tense and uncertain. The performance of the SEC, the possibility of government collapse, and the impact of ongoing violence will continue to shape the political discourse in the state.
