Booth By Booth, Temple By Temple: How West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Is Taking On BJP Ahead Of Polls
Wooing Booths With Funds
The TMC is aware of how the BJP works to mobilise booths and grassroot workers and thus, CM Mamata Banerjee is not targeting booth-level workers and voters as well. On Tuesday, Mamata Banerjee announced 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan' (our neighbourhood, our solution) program under which she announced Rs 10 lakh funds per booth to provide grievance redressal and services to common people.
Banerjee said that this is the first such initiative in the country where people to voice their opinions and mutually decide the issues they need to get it resolved in their booth using Rs 10 lakh. She said that local issues will be identified and resolved at the extreme micro level. She said that the scheme gives power in the hands of people, as it's for the first time that people will decide what's best for them under a Govt-public participatory programme.
"In total, the state government will be spending Rs 8000 crore on this programme. It will start on August 2. A Task Force will be headed by the Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, who will monitor this," said Banerjee.
Counter Polarisation
Accused of appeasement politics by the BJP, the TMC is now doing course correction by taking up soft Hindutva, to not upset the Muslims while appealing to the Hindu voters. Recently, Banerjee led the grand inauguration of Rs 250 crore Jagannath Dham and now, she has launched 'Durga Angan' project, a grand year-round temple complex dedicated to Ma Durga. This is being seen as a counter to the BJP invoking 'Durga' and 'Kali' in its campaign.
During Martyrs' Day rally on July 21, Banerjee made her intent clear why targeting PM Modi, "Why is it that you suddenly start remembering Ma Kali and Ma Durga only during the elections? Ma Durga is our revered goddess, and Durga Puja has even received international recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Now listen, just as we developed Jagannath Dham, we will create 'Durga Angan' so that people can visit and experience it throughout the year."
BJP Alleges Symbolism
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticised the move, calling it a violation of constitutional principles and accusing the state government of diverting public funds for religious purposes. Party leaders claimed the decision was a calculated attempt to appeal to Hindu voters who have traditionally supported the BJP.
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, argued that government funds should not be used to construct any place of worship—whether it be a temple, mosque, church, or gurudwara. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misusing taxpayer money and disregarding the secular framework outlined in the Constitution.
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Business Standard
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- Business Standard
Corrupt, ineffective: Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP over flood situation in UP
Yadav listed several problems allegedly faced by the flood-affected people in the state, demanding a response from the Yogi Adityanath-led government ANI Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sad that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was "corrupt and ineffective" alleging that it failed to provide relief to the people affected by the flood situation in the State. Yadav listed several problems allegedly faced by the flood-affected people in the state, demanding a response from the Yogi Adityanath-led government. Sharing an X post, the SP chief wrote, "If the BJP government in UP can organise grand 'super VVIP' rallies or gatherings, why is it not carrying out relief and rescue operations during the floods? The BJP government has proven to be corrupt and ineffective." Further, he alleged a shortage of food and drinking water, and a lack of sanitation and healthcare facilities. "Not only in Prayagraj but across UP, the situation is dire due to floods. There is an acute shortage of food and drinking water. Due to the lack of toilets, people are forced to live in indecent and inhumane conditions. Sick children, pregnant women, and the elderly are unable to access medicines or treatment. Healthcare services are completely stalled," he said. Listing the problems, he added that the belongings have been inundated and people have no clothes to wear, while the flood-affected people are living in fear of venomous creatures and electrocution. "The fear of rats and venomous creatures is preventing people from sleeping. Power outages and the fear of electrocution are additional concerns. People forced to live on upper floors are also afraid of their homes collapsing. People's household belongings have been submerged. People have no clothes to wear. The ones they have are soaked. People are unable to charge their mobile phones, leading to a breakdown in communication," the X post read. He wrote, "People are gripped by the fear of flood-related diseases. It is said that floods leave behind not just mud, garbage, debris, and stench but also diseases and epidemics. Those who depend on daily wages are unable to go to work. The poor and labourers are on the brink of starvation. Farmers' fields and lands have been inundated. Shops have suffered losses worth billions of rupees." He highlighted that people have lost their identity cards and essential documents. "People's identity cards, ration cards, land and property documents, bank passbooks, educational certificates, medical prescriptions, and other essential documents have either been destroyed by water or washed away. People's vehicles have been submerged," Akhilesh added. The Samajwadi Party MP alleged that the BJP is not listening to the plight of the people whose livelihood depends on the river. He wrote, "For communities living "by the river, with the help of boats," there is a severe crisis of livelihood, but no one from the BJP government or its allied parties is there to listen or understand their plight. Children's education is being disrupted. The last rites of those who have passed away cannot be performed." He accused BJP leaders of being absent amid the crisis in the state and demanded accountability over the problems mentioned by him. He said, "In these circumstances, the public is extremely angry because the administration is absent, and the government is busy taking photos in a race for self-promotion. In such a situation, our major demand from the BJP government is that it publishes detailed responses regarding the above points. How long will the public be forced to live in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty? Amid claims of development and smart cities, the images of destruction are heart-wrenching. There will be peace only when the BJP is gone! The flood-affected say today, we don't want the BJP!" Uttar Pradesh is grappling with floods amid heavy rainfall in the state. Earlier today, in view of the prevailing inclement weather and consistent rainfall in several districts, District Magistrate Visakh G. Iyer announced that all government and private schools from Classes 1 to 12 will remain shut today in Lucknow. In Ayodhya's Jalwanpura locality, residents were seen wading through knee-deep floodwaters after the Saryu river overflowed due to persistent downpours, while several areas in Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh were flooded following incessant heavy rainfall and a rise in the water level of the River Ganga. The water level of the river has been continuously rising since Saturday. Taking stock of the flood crisis, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed all ministers in charge to immediately visit their assigned districts, inspect relief camps, and directly engage with affected families. 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Direct insult to language in which National Anthem was written: MK Stalin
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New Indian Express
11 minutes ago
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‘Failed' UP government focused on events, not flood relief: Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday criticised the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the worsening flood situation, alleging that the "corrupt and failed" administration is more invested in event management than in public welfare. In a post on X, the former chief minister questioned why a government capable of organising 'super VVIP' rallies was unable to conduct proper relief and rescue operations in flood-affected areas. As of Sunday, official data showed that floods had affected 402 villages across 37 tehsils, impacting 84,392 people. Seventeen districts, including Kanpur Nagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Agra, Auraiya, Chitrakoot, Ballia, and Varanasi, were reported to be severely affected. 'There is a terrifying situation not just in Prayagraj but across the entire state due to floods,' Yadav said. 'People are facing acute shortages of food and drinking water. Sanitation has collapsed, forcing many to live in inhuman conditions.' He added that children, pregnant women, and the elderly are struggling to access healthcare due to disrupted medical services. 'People are scared of rats, poisonous insects, and the threat of electric shocks. Homes are collapsing, belongings have been washed away, and many are left without even a change of clothes,' Yadav claimed.
