A scathing critique was launched by Amit Malviya, the Chief of BJP's IT cell, against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) following the announcement of its 42 candidates in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Malviya characterized the Trinamool Congress's candidate lineup as lackluster, highlighting the inclusion of seven former BJP members, whom he described as "discards".
Expressing skepticism about Trinamool's choice of candidates, Malviya singled out Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad, and Yusuf Pathan as 'Bohiragotos' (outsiders), questioning whether the party couldn’t find enough local candidates.
"TMC's candidate list is underwhelming. Seven out of the 42 (which amounts to 17% of the names) are former BJP members, some of whom are discarded. Wasn't Trinamool able to find sufficient local candidates? Among them, Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad, and Yusuf Pathan are Bohiragotos. Did TMC not find enough sons of the soil to field?" remarked Malviya in his tweet.
Moreover, Malviya drew attention to the candidacy of Abu Taher Khan, whose SUV was allegedly involved in the death of a child. He queried, "Did TMC have a shortage of criminals that Mamata Banerjee felt the need to include Taher on the list?"
The BJP leader also raised concerns about the inclusion of Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from Parliament for multiple infringements.
Expressing reservations about Trinamool's purported distancing from appeasement politics, Malviya pointed out that the party had nominated only six Muslim candidates compared to seven in the previous elections.
He further criticized Trinamool's candidate selection process, alleging a lack of vigor amid ongoing corruption allegations against Abhishek Banerjee and the recent arrests of several Bengal ministers.
About the ongoing turmoil in Sandeshkhali, Malviya asserted, "The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will signal the start of the end of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in Bengal."
MALVIYA CRITICIZES SHATRUGHAN SINHA'S NOMINATION
In another tweet, Malviya shared a clip of an old film featuring Shatrugan Sinha and remarked, "Trinamool's ranks are filled with rapists, both in real life (such as Shahjahan Sheikh) and reel life".
"I'm surprised Mamata Banerjee didn’t invite Shatrughan Sinha to join her for the sham women's empowerment march on the eve of International Women’s Day," he further commented.
TRINAMOOL'S CANDIDATE LIST
The Mamata Banerjee-led party unveiled its list of candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, dropping at least eight incumbent MPs and introducing several new faces, including former cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad.
The party re-nominated 16 sitting MPs and fielded 12 women candidates.
Cricketer Yusuf Pathan will contest the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat, while Kirti Azad will vie for the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency. Veteran Bollywood actor Shatrugan Sinha has been nominated for the Asansol seat.
The party also re-nominated expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra for the Krishnanagar seat for a second consecutive term.
In the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, where Sandeshkhali is located, Trinamool Congress replaced sitting MP Nusrat Jahan with its former MP Haji Nurul Islam.
