Abhishek Banerjee asks TMC to promote Lakshmir Bhandar, 10 Pledges

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday emphasised the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme and asked the party workers to promote CM Mamata Banerjee's '10 Pledges' mentioned in the manifesto among the public, party sources said. Under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, women in the general category will receive Rs 1,500 per month, SC/ST women Rs 1,700, and unemployed youth will get Rs 1,500 per month.

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'Bengal will not bow down'

Addressing an internal meeting of party workers in Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur constituency, Abhishek Banerjee asked them to inform the public about "fundamental differences" between the TMC government in the state and the BJP in the Centre. As per party sources, he called for the Bhabanipur seat to be the "frontrunner" in West Bengal Assembly elections, among constituencies in Kolkata.

Banerjee said, "Our battle is to ensure that the Trinamool Congress, and Mamata Banerjee, win Bhabanipur with an even larger margin and lead than before. We must make people understand that the BJP is a corrupt party. This is something that needs to be conveyed to the people. This Bengal will not bow down; Bhabanipur must emerge as the frontrunner within Kolkata."

He said, "We have not forgotten the deprivation inflicted by the Central Government. We will take our report card directly to the common people. Those who were nowhere to be found until now are engaging in politics in the name of religion. We must make the common people understand these realities. Alongside highlighting our own schemes, we must also demonstrate to the public the fundamental differences between our government and that of Narendra Modi."

Swasthya Sathi vs Ayushman Bharat

He noted that the BJP is promoting and backing the Ayushman Bharat scheme and asked the workers to counter it with the state government's Swasthya Sathi scheme. "Our government has given to the people, whereas the Central Government has made the people stand in queues only to take from them. Can the BJP point to a single state where they have implemented a scheme like 'Lakshmir Bhandar'? The BJP is campaigning extensively regarding 'Ayushman Bharat'; however, bear in mind that if you own a smartphone, you will not be eligible for Ayushman Bharat benefits. In contrast, there is no such restrictive rule in the case of 'Swasthya Sathi'. We must reach out to the common people, not just once, but time and again. As long as our government remains in power, the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme will continue," Abhishek Banerjee said.

'Didi lives like a common person'

He claimed that CM Mamata has a simpler lifestyle compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Take Didi's 10 Pledges to the people... Just look at the Prime Minister's lifestyle today, how it has changed since he assumed office, and then look at our Chief Minister. She still resides in a tiled-roof house and lives her life just like a common person," he said, as per sources.

Mamata to face Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur

Mamata Banerjee chaired the party workers meeting as West Bengal goes for polls in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes slated for May 4. Mamata Banerjee is set to contest from the Bhabanipur seat, from where she will face a repeat clash with BJP leader and West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari had also challenged Mamata from Nandigram in the 2021 West Bengal polls, from where he won by 1956 votes. Following her defeat, the TMC supremo contested the bypoll from Bhabanipur, as MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay resigned from the seat. (ANI)