PATNA: BJP national spokesman and newly appointed state industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Wednesday threw a challenge at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee saying the people of the state are fed up with her rule and want a change.
The former Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, who has been brought by BJP to Bihar politics as its Muslim face and inducted in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, said he will campaign for his party in the West Bengal election due in April this year.
“Didi, main araha hoon. Kashmir mein kamal (BJP symbol lotus) khilaya, ab Bengal ki bari hai (Didi, I am coming to your state. The lotus bloomed in Jammu & Kashmir, and the same will happen in West Bengal),” Shahnawaz told TOI.
Shahnawaz was referring to his stint in Kashmir Valley where he had stayed and campaigned for more than 30 days for the Jammu and Kashmir District Development Council election held in December last year. BJP opened its account in the Kashmir Valley for the first time and won three seats. Overall, the saffron party emerged the single largest party with 75 seats and 38% votes in the 280 constituencies.
Shahnawaz, who represented Kishanganj Lok Sabha constituency bordering West Bengal in 1999, said people were angry with the Mamata rule and wanted peace and development in their state.
He said Mamata has already seen the preview of state assembly election when BJP won 18 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the 2019 general election.
“This time we will win more than 200 of the 294 assembly seats in West Bengal,” said Shahnawaz, adding the violent behaviour of Trinamool Congress workers and leaders shows their nervousness ahead of the state elections.
“Ma, manush aur maati ki baat karne wali didi ab goli bandook ki baat karti hai. West Bengal mein parivartan tai hai,” he said.