Abhishek flags remarks CPI-M leader transfer of votes to BJP

Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamul Congress (TMC), on Monday said there had been a “delayed realisation” on part of Asok Bhattacharya, the former mayor of Siliguri, expressing satisfaction over the veteran CPI-M leader’s recent remarks against the transfer of Left votes to the BJP.

Addressing an election rally in Siliguri in the evening, Banerjee referred to Bhattacharya ~ a former MLA from Siliguri, ex-mayor and former state urban development minister ~ who had recently said that in a bid to counter the TMC, a section of Left votes was indirectly helping the BJP, a trend that should stop.

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Quoting him, Banerjee said he was “glad” to hear such an admission, adding that the TMC had long maintained that Left votes were shifting towards the BJP.

During his speech, Banerjee also took aim at the BJP’s campaign narrative, alleging that the party offered only “negative change” and would seek to control people’s way of life, food habits and culture if voted to power. In contrast, he claimed, people would remain “secure” under a TMC government.

He criticised the BJP for opposing the state government’s initiative to build a temple in Siliguri with an allocation of Rs 350 crore, despite projecting itself as a champion of Hindu interests. “Those who do politics in the name of religion are bankrupt,” he said.

In a lighter vein, Banerjee raised the slogan “Jai Shri Ram, gas er ek hazar taka daam” linking it to rising fuel prices, and remarked that the cost of LPG had touched Rs 1,000.

Appealing to voters, he said Siliguri had elected Bhattacharya in 2016 and Shankar Ghosh in 2021, and urged them to elect Gautam Deb in 2026. He assured that the responsibility for Siliguri’s development would be taken up by him and promised a restructured municipal board with TMC representatives to deliver services at people’s doorsteps.

Meanwhile, tensions flared in parts of Siliguri over allegations of poster vandalism involving TMC and BJP supporters. Ghosh, the BJP candidate contesting against the TMC, alleged that his posters had been torn for several days and claimed that complaints had yielded no action.

The situation escalated following a dispute reportedly linked to an event involving Deb. When plainclothes police arrived to investigate, Ghosh questioned the basis of their inquiry and objected to the absence of women police personnel during entry into residential premises. The confrontation intensified, leading to a scuffle between Ghosh and a police officer, further aggravating the situation.