BJP vows renaissance at industrial hubsC

BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya today criticised the Trinamul Congress (TMC) government for reducing West Bengal to what he termed a “mazdoor state” — a supplier of labour to other parts of the country, whether in the form of construction workers or low-cost IT professionals.

Speaking in Durgapur this afternoon, Bhattacharya asserted that the BJP is committed to injecting new life into the state’s ailing industrial hubs and bringing about a genuine renaissance.

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“No new investments have come to Bengal in recent years, and industrial towns like Durgapur have been downgraded to service-sector zones,” he said. “Even Bengali industrialists are relocating their ventures outside the state, leaving graduate engineers to work for paltry salaries of just Rs 18,000.”

He further alleged that business figures, who once championed the ‘Brand Buddha’ initiative during the Left Front regime, and who now appear at the chief minister’s Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), are investing heavily in states like Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. “Their balance sheets prove this,” he claimed, adding that the state currently lacks any mechanism to halt the ongoing flight of capital.

According to Bhattacharya, these trends have drastically reduced Bengal’s contribution to the national exchequer. “From 27 per cent during British rule, we are now down to just 8 per cent. The state now survives largely on revenues from lotteries and excise duties,” he said.

When asked about the shutdown of public sector undertakings (PSUs) during the previous NDA government’s tenure, Bhattacharya promised that a future BJP-led government in Bengal would seek to revive these units.

He arrived in Durgapur to attend a public rally scheduled for tomorrow, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate many projects.

“The investors are watching the political scenario closely and are hopeful of a change in power in 2026,” Bhattacharya said. “We are determined to create an industry-friendly environment and free the people of Bengal from this current ‘khela-mela’ (funfair-style) governance.”

He assured that the BJP’s industrial policy would be mindful of Bengal’s agricultural base. “Our policy won’t damage fertile farmland. Where land acquisition is necessary, farmers will be included as stakeholders in the industrial projects, as seen in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab,” he explained.

He also took aim at the ruling TMC’s recent efforts to portray itself as a defender of Bengali interests. “This is a failed government that is now hiding behind identity politics. I challenge TMC to contest and win elections in Bengali-dominated areas like Dandakaranya, the Barak Valley, or Chittaranjan Park in Delhi — then we might believe they genuinely care,” he said.

Responding to a recent fatwa issued by the Malda TMC president, Bhattacharya quipped: “Rest assured, that man will be calling Suvendu Adhikari by midnight. These leaders shout against us during the day to impress their party chief but secretly contact us at night.”