West Bengal wants its daughters, not an aunt: BJP counters Trinamool Congress slogan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 27

Days after the ruling Trinamool Congress unveiled election slogan “Bengal wants its own daughter Mamata”, the BJP launched a counter campaign on Saturday saying “Bengal only wants its own daughters but not Pishi (aunt)”.

State BJP unit splashed collages bearing its new slogan and featuring pictures of leading women leaders from state organisation, including Minister of State for Women and Child Development Debasree Chaudhuri; Lok Sabha MP from Hooghly Locket Chatterjee; BJP farmer call vice president Sreerupa Chowdhury; state vice chief Bharati Ghosh, spokesperson Roopa Ganguly among several others.

“Mamata is only Abhishek Banerjee’s aunt. Bengal does not want Pishi. It wants its daughters and every woman of the state is the face of Bengal,” Chatterjee said today as the war of words between the BJP and TMC intensified.

TMC’s poll strategist Prashant Kishor also weighed in on the issue tweeting, “One of the key battles for democracy in India will be fought in West Bengal and the people of Bengal are ready with their message and determined to show the right card — Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chay (Bengal only wants its own daughter Mamata).”

“On May 2, hold me to my last tweet,” Kishor dared the BJP which continued to unleash top guns on the campaign scene keen to improve its previous tally of 27 MLAs as against TMC’s 209 in a 294-member Assembly.

With women’s empowerment emerging as a prominent election theme, the TMC took a dig at the BJP today saying it treated women unequally.

The reference was to the RSS which doesn’t enroll women in core ranks.

Minister Smriti Irani, however, hit back saying, “We are led by a Prime Minister who ensured 33 per cent reservation for women in the party organisation. We do not need certificates on women’s empowerment from anyone.”

BPF to be part of ‘Grand Alliance’ in Assam

Guwahati: The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), a part of the BJP-led Assam government, on Saturday said it would join the ‘Grand Alliance’ helmed by the Congress to contest the poll. “To work for peace, unity and development, the BPF has decided to join hands with the ‘Mahajath’,” its chief Hagrama Mohilary said. The BPF will no longer maintain any alliance with the ruling BJP. PTI