BJP has set a high target of winning as many as 35 out of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in Mamata Banerjee’s bastion of West Bengal. Keeping its high goal in mind, BJP already started its campaign a few weeks before the announcement of 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule by election commission on Saturday. However, it intensified its electioneering in West Bengal after announcement of schedule of general elections.
West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumder told The Sunday Guardian that his party has aimed at winning at least 35 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2024 general elections. BJP has set such a high target despite facing internal strife and electoral setbacks since its defeat in 2021 Assembly polls.
After Ram Mandir’s inauguration and implementation of CAA, which TMC is opposing, the BJP looks more confident in its ability to achieve its target. Even BJP has gained more support in the seats, which are being dominated by Matua voters, as they are supporting BJP.
Rahul Sinha, a senior BJP leader from Bengal, told The Sunday Guardian that we will win 35 seats, which is almost double than what we won in the 2019 election. He added that “BJP vote share has increased in Bengal. The party’s surge from a 17% vote share in 2014 to 40.7% in 2019, resulting in 18 Lok Sabha seats, and it will increase more in 2024 and win 35 seats this time.”
Sukanta Majumder told The Sunday Guardian that Ebar 35 paar’ (we will cross 35 this time), keeping the Lok Sabha election in mind. He added that the people of Bengal suffered a lot under TMC government, so they want change, which is why they will vote for BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election and empower us to work for them.
Earlier, BJP announced its second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Till now, BJP has announced candidates for 20 out of 42 seats. The list includes names of prominent leaders of Bengal’s BJP. BJP fielded state president Sukanta Mazumdar from Balurghat, Nisith Pramanik from Cooch Behar, Shantanu Thakur from Bongaon, and Locket Chatterjee from Hooghly. Saumitra Khan from Bishnupur, and Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato from Purulia.
Besides repeating some sitting MPs, the saffron party has also included some new faces, like Soumendu Adhikari, the younger brother of the leader of the opposition in the Bengal legislative assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. Soumendu has been fielded from Kanthi in East Midnapore, which has been held by Adhikari family since 2009.