Dilip Ghosh says EC officials are sharing information with the state government.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president from West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, spoke to The Sunday Guardian on various issues concerning the state, including the alleged partisan behaviour of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal and issues related to BJP’s internal politics. Excerpts:
Q: The BJP has been repeatedly complaining about the conduct of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal about its allegedly partisan behaviour. The party has also written several letters to the Election Commission regarding the same. What is the genesis behind these complaints?
A: The office of the West Bengal CEO is deliberately and intentionally creating a situation of fear in the state, so that the people are scared to go out and vote. There are some officers in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal including the CEO, the additional CEO and also the officer, who have been given the responsibility of conducting press conferences, who are repeatedly telling us the places where the Central forces will not be deployed. Why is this being done, to threaten people not to go and vote in those booths?
The EC is supposed to build confidence among the people to come out and vote and not intimidate people. These officers are indirectly working as Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadre. They are leaking valuable inputs and information which they are sharing with the state government here. We are not willing to meet or share any inputs or complaints with the CEO or his office. We do not trust those officers and they should be changed.
Remember, it was under this CEO in West Bengal under whom the violent Panchayat elections in the state had taken place. We submitted all the footages and old records about the elections and these officers to the CEC.
Q: What are the three main issues on which the BJP is fighting this election this time in Bengal?
A: Our first and most important issue is “Save Democracy” in the state. In Bengal, there is no democracy, it is an autocratic one party and one woman rule where nobody has the right to talk against them and criticise them. Development will happen, but first we need to establish democracy here.
The second issue is about violence and corruption. The BJP would establish a peaceful and corruption free government in Bengal and corruption free police.
And the third issue is the vision of Modiji’s New India. The way Modiji is taking the country forward with development, we want to implement those development schemes in Bengal as well.
Q: The BJP has set an ambitious target of 22 seats, but the party does not have a strong organisational strength in every seat and reports say that in many booths, the BJP is not even being able to send their polling agents. In this backdrop, how do you think this target will be achieved?
A: Two elections have already happened in Bengal and I can say that we have BJP workers in every booth. If we did not have any booth agent, then who were the people whom the TMC goons were beating up and throwing out of the polling booths?
I am telling you with certainty that every booth will have a BJP polling agent. We have build our Booth Suraksha Committee for every booth and this Vahini will take the people along and ensure that free and fair elections are conducted and that people are able to vote without fear.
Q: There are allegations that the BJP and the TMC had a tacit understanding at the Centre which is why the investigation into the multi-crore Saradha, Rose Valley and Narada scam cases that have the names of many senior TMC leaders and ministers, has “slowed”. How do you respond to this?
A: The Saradha or Rose Valley cases happened even before our government came to power at the Centre. These cases are now being investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The CBI and the ED are independent organisations and we cannot interfere in their functioning; they are working according to their own mandate. They had complained about the lack of adequate manpower and the government is working towards increasing their manpower and officers.
I agree that the cases had been slow for which I myself have gone to the CBI office in Kolkata and gheraoed, demanding to know t why the CBI is slow in acting against corrupt TMC leaders. But now, they are moving which is why today the former Kolkata Police Commissioner is likely to go to jail. We all want the results of these cases to come out fast and all the corrupt be punished.
Q: There are reports about unhappiness within the party with regard to ticket distribution. In fact, you yourself had also expressed displeasure with some of the candidates initially. How are you handling this dissent within the party?
A: The BJP before this had never fought any election in West Bengal to win, be it Assembly or Parliament; this time, it is different. Starting from Panchayat, we are contesting all the elections to win. Therefore, candidates were decided by the party on their winability factor after receiving feedback through various forms and surveys. We also have to understand that before this, the BJP in Bengal had very few candidates who could contest Lok Sabha elections and we had been getting requests from strong candidates from other parties to contest from our ticket and, therefore, we took them and gave them tickets to contest. This has naturally upset many old and traditional workers who had been working for the party for years and was expecting a ticket this time. But now, it is all settled and we are working like one family with our full might to ensure each and every BJP candidate wins.
Q: As you said, there has been unhappiness within the party over TMC leaders joining the BJP. You had also expressed unhappiness over the joining of former TMC leader Shanku Deb Panda, Bharati Ghosh and some others. As the state party president, are you able to take them along or is there a sense of factionalism within the party?
A: I have taken everyone along with me and we have taken everybody into the party consciously. Arjun Singh, Bharati Ghosh, Anupam Hazra, all these people, have joined from the TMC and I agree that we had fought against them when they were in the TMC, but now they are like my party’s lakhs and lakhs of workers who are working to oust the autocratic Mamata Banerjee government. And I am campaigning with Bharati Ghosh now, going and asking votes for her.
Q: There are accusations and credible reports that some of the BJP’s senior leaders are working in tandem with the TMC. It is also reported that they have an understanding with the TMC. Have you received any such report?
A: No, I have not received any such information. I do not know who is doing like this, where is this being done. In suspicion, some might accuse someone else, if there is something like this going on, we will get the reports and take necessary actions.
Q: BJP national president Amit Shah had said that he would camp in Bengal to ensure that his target of 22 seats is met by the party from the state. But we don’t see Shah camping in the state as of now? Is he going to come?
A: Amit Shahji is coming to Bengal in every phase of election. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modiji is coming to Bengal in all the phases. Earlier, it was decided that the Prime Minister will address seven rallies in Bengal, but now it has been decided that he will address 15 election rallies in Bengal. Therefore, the party is very much putting emphasis on Bengal and we will win 22 seats.