KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has been making false promises to voters in the state’s northern districts to regain the Lok Sabha seats Trinamool Congress lost in 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari said on Tuesday, his party’s counter to Mamata Banerjee’s sharp attacks on the BJP during her her week-long tour of the region.

“The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government systematically neglects north Bengal because people in this region voted for BJP in all recent polls. The budget allocation for north Bengal in 2020-21 was ₹759 crore but only ₹268 crore was released. In the next two financial years, the government released ₹170 crore and ₹308 crore against allocations of ₹759 crore and ₹800 crore respectively.” Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition in the assembly, said.

Adhikari landed in Siliguri hours after the chief minister announced at a government event 47 new projects, including a cancer hospital at Matigara. Adhikari asked people not to fall for the announcements.

“This chief minister neglects north Bengal but tells lies when it comes to elections. She sees north Bengal only as her holiday destination. Local state guest houses have been turned into palaces to ensure her comfort,” Adhikari added.

BJP won seven of the region’s eight Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and 30 of 54 assembly seats in 2021.

Adhikari’s attacks on Banerjee come against the backdrop of reports that Mamata Banerjee will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20 to demand release of central funds for projects such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). These were suspended following allegations of mismanagement and corruption.

Three Hindu organisations have invited both Banerjee and PM Modi to a mass chanting of Bhagavat Gita at Brigade Parade Grounds on December 24. There is no formal word if the two leaders will accept the invite.

In speeches during her north Bengal tour, Mamata Banerjee has been sharply critical of the central government and repeatedly accused the BJP of misleading people.

“The Centre has stopped funds for rural employment projects, village roads and health schemes. They replaced our cess and sales tax with GST (goods and services tax) but they are not giving our share of it. What crime has Bengal done? They (Centre) are not giving our share of funds for schemes that help backward classes and minorities,” she said.

“BJP government is promising free ration now. Unlike them, we don’t give free rations only when elections are imminent. They (BJP) make a lot of false promises. Did Indians receive ₹15 lakh in their bank accounts?” Banerjee said.

“India’s employment rate has reduced by 40% but in Bengal, it has increased by 40%. Politics is here forever but there should not be any negativity in politics. We should always think positively and all problems will be solved. Bengal will lead India. What we are doing today will be followed by others tomorrow,” Banerjee said, focusing on her social welfare schemes.