Amit Shah has assured free and fair polls in Bengal: BJP leaders

KOLKATA: Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah Friday assured the party's West Bengal unit that the Centre will ensure free and fair assembly polls in the state, which is due in April-May 2021, party sources said.

Shah, who was addressing an internal meeting of BJP, asked the state unit to work hard so that the party can dislodge the Trinamool Congress and form the next government in the state.

He also asked the party workers to strengthen the organisation and ensure that the pro-people policies of the Centre are made known to the general people.

"During the meeting Amit Shah Ji said some people are apprehensive about violence during the West Bengal assembly polls. He assured that the Centre will ensure free, fair and violence free assembly polls. He asked us to work hard so that we can form the next government," a senior state BJP leader said after the closed door meeting.

The BJP has alleged that 120 party workers have been killed in violence in the state during the past few months.

According to party sources, Shah asked the party leaders and workers to highlight the anti-people policies of the TMC and its misrule.

"He asked us to spread word on how people of the state are being deprived of the pro-people central schemes as the Mamata Banerjee government has not allowed their implementation in West Bengal. We have been told to also speak to the people about the misrule and the corruption of the TMC regime in the state," another BJP leader said.

Shah also asked BJP workers to fan out in the districts and villages and speak to the people about the party's policies.

We have been told to prepare a draft plan in which we will speak about the work that BJP will do when it come to power.

"Shah said the people should vote for BJP not just for being an alternative to TMC, but out of respect and love for its ideology and policies," yet another state BJP leader said.

Shah is on a two-day visit to the state to take stock of the party's organization ahead of the 2021 assembly polls.

He has set a target of winning more than 200 out of the 294 seats in the next assembly elections.