Mathabhanga (West Bengal) [India], April 18 : UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday addressed a public rally in Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, as campaigning picked up pace ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, and launched a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), Congress and Left parties while highlighting governance and development work under the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.
Comparing law and order situations between Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Adityanath said governance in UP had transformed under the "double-engine government".
"This was also the condition of Uttar Pradesh earlier, but today there is no riot, no curfew, everything is peaceful under the double-engine government," he said.
Targeting the West Bengal government over law and order and alleged infiltration, he said the state was facing serious internal challenges.
"Bengal is filled with infiltrators from Bangladesh, and people are living in fear. In the last 15 years, more than 7,000 factories have shut down. The money is looted by TMC goons," CM Yogi added.
The Uttar Pradesh CM also claimed discrimination against religious expression in the state. "In Bengal, you cannot even raise slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram.' Even before Durga Puja, unrest begins," he stated.
Highlighting action taken against crime and illegal assets in Uttar Pradesh, he said strict measures had been implemented under the present administration.
"Mafia properties have been seized and converted into houses for the poor. This is possible only under a double-engine government," he said, adding that such steps were aimed at ensuring welfare delivery to the underprivileged and strengthening governance systems.
Referring to Bengal's historical and cultural significance, Yogi said the state had played a major role in India's freedom struggle and intellectual heritage.
"Bengal is the cultural capital of India. This land is the land of Swami Vivekananda. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay also belonged to this land. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who said, 'Give me blood, and I will give you freedom,' also came from here. For India's freedom, Khudiram Bose went to the gallows," he added.
He further said that the state had once played a key role in India's economic growth, adding, "Bengal was once the growth engine of India's economy."
Targeting the Opposition over parliamentary proceedings, the Uttar Pradesh CM said recent developments reflected political obstruction. "You must have seen the scene in Parliament yesterday where Congress and the Left did not allow it to pass. The TMC government created obstacles in giving rights to half the population."
Calling the election a decisive moment, Yogi urged voters to take a stand against violence. "This is your last opportunity... those who create riots will be punished. Tell TMC goons to understand this after May 4," he said, while claiming welfare delivery and further stating, "We have provided houses to 6.5 million poor people."
Polling for West Bengal Assembly elections, which will take place in two phases on April 23 and 29, with the results set for May 4.
The elections follow the 2021 contest, in which the TMC secured a landslide victory with 213 seats. However, the BJP's growth from a minor player to 77 seats in the last cycle, with zero seats for Congres and Left parties, has set the stage for the current high-stakes confrontation.
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