BJP’s Barrackpore candidate, Arjun Singh, who has rejoined the party from Trinamool Congress (TMC), says he is confident BJP will win over 80% of the Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal this time.
The Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says it is confident of winning 35 out of Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections. Following the announcement of the election date by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 16, BJP candidates have intensified their campaign in their respective constituencies.
While talking to The Sunday Guardian, the BJP’s Barrackpore candidate, Arjun Singh, who has rejoined the party from Trinamool Congress (TMC), says he is confident of winning.
While campaigning, he chants slogans such as “Ebar 35 Paar” (we will cross 35 this time), “Fir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar”, and “Abki Baar 400 Paar”. Arjun Singh won the Barrackpore seat on behalf of the BJP in 2019. Excerpts:
Q: How is West Bengal BJP preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?
A: Bengal BJP has grown rapidly. Its workers are very active. The work of Modi Ji is very effective in Bengal. Incidents like that of Sandeshkhali are happening everywhere in Bengal. Some are visible, some are not. So we are contesting this election on that issue.
Even in my constituency, a new trend has started. The leaders of TMC are helping those criminals, who are taking photos of their own family members and selling them to clients abroad. When their wives complain, no one listens to them. TMC has allowed this racket to flourish. We are working on this. I have the entire file. One can’t imagine what is happening in Bengal.
Q: How will you tackle your opponent?
A: In politics, we don’t use the word tackle, as in politics, everyone is in opposition to one another. We will fight with the political groups, and they will get the answer in the same way. And coming to your question, there is no opposition in Barrackpore, as Barackpore wants Arjun Singh. And the BJP will win in Barrackpore.
Q: Do you think your frequent crossovers from TMC to BJP, BJP to TMC, and then TMC to BJP will decrease your vote share?
A: No, no, not at all. This crossover will increase my vote share. Barrackpore votes for Modi. They will vote for the prime minister of this country. And the BJP has its own vote share, which is continuously increasing in Bengal. In Bengal, people are not getting help from the state government; people will not speak in public, but they say if you keep them confident, all of them will come with us and vote for us. Even the people from the minority will vote for us.
Q: What are your plans for Barrackpore?
A:I have many development plans ready for Barrackpore. I’ll use my MP fund and my CSR fund; we can use this to do development work. From Delhi to Barrackpore, we talked about bringing in Metro railways. Rs 230 crore is already there. It is not being spent. Barrackpore is an industrial area, but the state government does not give any support to save industry here. The Bengal government wants industry finished so that the people who are working here can leave this place and the TMC leaders can use this land for their personal use—by selling it. As you can see, most of the land around the factory is being sold. But I would make all the necessary developments in the constituency.
Q: How will PM Modi’s guarantee help the Bengal BJP in this election?
A: “Modi hai to mumkin hai”, as Modi’s guarantee, means the guarantee of completion. Where there is Modi, there is faith, development, and support for everyone. This is the biggest guarantee, and we know that Bengal people will salute the Prime Minister’s leadership along with the country, and with the help of the people of Bengal, we will win 35 seats, making Modi ji the prime minister for the third time in a row.
Q: Will CAA and Sandeshkhali play a role in this election?
A: In the Sandeshkhali incident, women were greatly impacted. Women fought and succeeded. Today, a lot of criminals have gone to jail. As for the CAA, the Matua Samaj has benefited from it a lot. Matua Samaj’s 50-year-struggle has been successful, and due to this, we will win 7-8 extra seats than in 2019. And the BJP’s vote share will also increase.
Q: How many seats are you targeting to win in this election?
A: Our target is 35 seats. We will definitely reach 35 seats.