Amit Shah chose to address his first political rally in Bengal, a day after regaining his party post, but the BJP national president was conspicuously silent on matters related to Saradha and Trinamool Congress’s alleged involvement in the scam.
Insiders said this came as a surprise since state BJP leaders had urged him to raise the issue at the rally where he kick-started BJP’s campaign for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Shah, who was re-elected as the party president on Sunday, lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee administration from his rally at Howrah on Monday. “Mamata ji aapne parivartan nahi kiya hai, patan kiya hai (you’ve not brought change but defeat),” he said in his trademark rhetoric. He added that the only way to bring development to Bengal and prevent anti-national activities in the state, people will need to bring a BJP government to power.
Neither Shah nor other BJP leaders, however, said what gave them the confidence to believe the party would fare well in the statewide polls, likely to be held in April-May.
The BJP, which went up from less than two per cent votes in 2011 to 17 per cent during the 2014 general elections, has been steadily losing grounds since early 2015.
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