BJP Promises Rs 3,000 Allowances Per Month to Women, Unemployed Youths in West Bengal, Tough against Infiltrators

Rohit Kumar

NEW DELHI, Apr 10: The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday released the BJP’s manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly elections promising a hardline stand on the illegal infiltrators and Rs 3,000 monthly assistance for every women and unemployed youths while the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of bringing outsiders to vote in the Assam elections hinting that the saffron party could play similar mischief in the West Bengal elections as well.

Unveiling the party’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ which has also promised setting up the Seventh Pay Commission for State employees within 45 days of assuming power in West Bengal following the Assembly polls, Mr Shah described the document as a roadmap for creating a ‘Sonar Bangla.’ “The BJP Sankalp Patra will guide farmers, youth and women, giving them a new direction. It will offer renewed hope to every citizen who takes pride in Bengal’s culture and will serve as a roadmap for the creation of Sonar Bangla,” Mr Shah said.

He launched a blistering attack on the incumbent Mamata Banerjee government, alleging that the last 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule had been a “nightmare” for the people of the state. Seeking to make infiltration and border security a central election issue, Mr Shah said a BJP government in the state would adopt a policy of “detect, delete and deport” against infiltrators.

“Our BJP government in Bengal will move with zero tolerance towards infiltration in the State,” he said. “In Bengal, one law will be ensured for all citizens,” Shah said, adding the BJP would also bring a law to ensure that everyone can practice their religion freely.

The BJP also sought to sharpen its campaign around the border issue, promising to secure the State’s frontiers and put an end to cattle smuggling. The manifesto made a strong pitch to women voters, promising a monthly transfer of ₹3,000 to women in the State. The BJP also promised 33% reservation for women in all government jobs, including in the police force.

In another major welfare promise, Mr Shah said unemployed youth would receive a monthly allowance of ₹3,000. He also said the Seventh Pay Commission for government employees would be set up within 45 days of the BJP coming to power in the State.

Later addressing a public gathering at Debra in Paschim Medinipur, Mr Shah launched a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Shah alleged that the state government led by Mamata Banerjee prioritizes building madrasas instead of improving educational infrastructure for poor students. He accused the ruling party of neglecting key development issues and claimed that the TMC’s policies were pushing underprivileged communities further behind.

Shah also accused Mamata Banerjee of protecting infiltrators and asserted that if the BJP was voted to power, it would identify and drive out every illegal immigrant from the state. “People here are suffering, but Mamata Banerjee is more interested in making her nephew the next chief minister,” Shah said in an apparent reference to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. “Mamata ji, no matter how hard you try, we will drive out every illegal immigrant from West Bengal,” Shah added.

The Union Home Minister accused the TMC government of institutionalising corruption through what he described as a ‘cut-money’ culture. “The TMC has destroyed West Bengal with its cut-money politics,” he said.

Ms Banerjee while addressing an election rally at Tentulia in North 24 Parganas district, claimed that the BJP brought people from outside for the Assam elections on Thursday as it was not confident of victory with the votes of the north-eastern State’s residents. She also alleged that no agency in the country was neutral under the BJP government at the Center as “the saffron party has bought them all.”

On Thursday, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry went to the polls, witnessing high turnout. While Kerala recorded 78.27 per cent polling, Puducherry broke all previous records of polling registering 89.74 per cent turnout, and Assam registered its highest-ever polling at 85.9 percent voting.

Meanwhile, in Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress general secretary KC Venugopal contended that despite an alleged “unholy political partnership” between the Left and the NDA, and the “widespread distribution of money” by the BJP, the Congress-led UDF would still win the Kerala elections “comfortably.”

Mr Venugopal, who is also the MP from the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, asserted that “clear instances of cash being offered for votes” and the distribution of kits by the BJP were seen in many parts of Kerala, including Palakkad and Thrissur. He alleged that the BJP’s classification of certain constituencies as ‘A category’ meant they were seats earmarked for the distribution of money.

“The BJP spent huge amounts of money to get votes. On one side, there was the unholy political partnership between the Left and the NDA, and on the other, money. But the results will uphold the dignity of the voters in Kerala, who survived both,” he contended. The BJP has denied these allegations.