BJP Has Emerged As Only Alternative In Bengal, Claims Arun Jaitley

Kolkata: BJP has emerged as the only alternative in West Bengal, Union Minister Arun Jaitley today asserted, as he accused Trinamool government of being a mirror image of Left Front regime and alleged that the "all-powerful" local committees have only been replaced by "syndicates".

"In the past five years, TMC had the opportunity to make a turnaround, but there were no alternative policies, no alternative model. It was a mirror image of the past," Mr Jaitley said at a press conference in Kolkata.

Claiming that the previous Left government had ruined the state during its 34-year rule, Mr Jaitley said, "Financial and economic policies were such that large industries shifted and no new came up. Law and order was not good and local committees used to dominate and West Bengal became alienated from development."

The biggest disappointment was vulnerability of Trinamool Congress to corruption, he said, adding "if Left destroyed the state, TMC belied the people's expectations."

"It is not some chit fund scandal, sting or flyover collapse only, you lift any file and will find a scandal," the Union finance minister said.

In such a situation West Bengal was yearning for an alternative, Mr Jaitley said, asserting that "BJP on its own will give an alternative with a powerful and clean government in the state."

The Trinamool Congress had the opportunity in the last five years to make a turnaround but the party has instead got embroiled in one scandal after another, Mr Jaitley claimed.

"(CPI-M's) Local committees turned into syndicates," the finance minister said referring to allegations on associations that started as construction material supply chains with local toughs having close links to building promoters.

The senior BJP leader claimed that like the local committees during the LF regime, these syndicates have become very powerful during the present Trinamool rule and were being put to use by the ruling Trinamool Congress for electoral purposes.

Attacking the Congress, Mr Jaitley said "nothing can be expected from it. It is opportunistic and fighting for its survival".

"It is hopping for piggyback rides. In Bihar it went with Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, in Tamil Nadu it went with DMK and now in West Bengal it has tagged with the Left Front so that they can get some seats," he said.

"In its battle for survival, it is content playing second or third fiddle. Its aspirations have become so low that it does not mind being a tail ender," Mr Jaitley added.