Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma focused on the Gorkhas and the tea population as he campaigned in the hill town of Kalimpong on Saturday to drum up support for the BJP.
The BJP leader, who has been campaigning in north Bengal since Thursday, stated initiatives taken by his government for the Gorkhas, tea workers and other communities, while drawing comparisons with Bengal.
“In Assam, the Bodo community organised a movement for their rights and conservation of their culture. The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was formed to meet their aspirations, and we pay around ₹3,000 crore to the BTC. We have also transferred different departments to them so that they function on their own,” Himanta told the crowd in Kalimpong while campaigning for BJP candidate
Bharat Chhetri.
Chhetri, the former captain of the Indian hockey team, is also an Olympian.
“In the Darjeeling hills, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was formed. It, however, did not receive more than ₹150 to ₹200 crore. Even then, Trinamool and its stooges here siphon money from this fund under different pretexts. This is the difference, and thus, we need the BJP in Bengal for the comprehensive development of the Gorkhas,” he added.
Himanta, political observers said, picked up an important hill issue. While questions are raised about the allocation of funds to the GTA, there is discontent as the Bengal government has not yet transferred all the departments concerned to the GTA, which was formed in 2012.
The Assam chief minister also referred to higher wages for tea workers in his state compared to Bengal and slammed the Trinamool government’s policy on
tea tourism.
“We have provided land rights to three lakh tea workers, and the process is on. But in Bengal, the Trinamool government wants to hand over tea estates to entrepreneurs for hotels and factories. Workers have the first right on the tea garden land, and the BJP will ensure that they get the rights,” said Himanta.
He repeated that once the BJP forms the government in Bengal, it would consider the longstanding demand of a permanent political solution for the hills within the purview of the Constitution.
“In Assam, we have included Gorkhas under the protected class category. They also have a separate development council,” he said.
Later, speaking at two public meetings in Dinhata and Sitai Assembly constituency of Cooch Behar, Himanta claimed his party would “hit a century (win 100 seats) in Assam.
“In Bengal, we (the BJP) will hit a double-century. The people have made up their minds,” he added.
Additional reporting by our Cooch Behar correspondent