BJP president JP Nadda accuses TMC of hindering central schemes in Bengal

Puralia (West Bengal) [India], May 15 : Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda while highlighting the schemes of the party, accused the Trinamool Congress of trying to stop the benefits of central schemes from coming to Bengal.
Nadda highlighted the challenges faced in delivering benefits under the Garib Kalyan Yojana due to alleged interference by TMC members.
"We are trying to provide the benefits of Garib Kalyan Yojana but the goons of TMC won't let that happen. They are trying to stop this," Nadda said at an election rally in West Bengal's Puralia.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave 5 lakh health cover to the unprivileged but Mamata Banerjee says "Ayushman Bharat Hobe Na", 1 crore 25 lakh people could not avail Ayushman Bharat scheme because of Mamata Banerjee. Will you let such a government sustain?" Nadda said.
Nadda emphasized the significance of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which provides a health cover of 5 lakh rupees to citizens above 70 years of age, irrespective of their economic status. He criticized Mamata Banerjee's opposition to the scheme, citing it as a hindrance to healthcare access for the underprivileged.
Highlighting BJP's development initiatives, Nadda credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for the progress in various sectors including healthcare, employment and transportation.
"This marks a new development narrative. Amidst prevailing economic challenges in America, Japan, Europe, and Russia, Prime Minister Modi has steered India from the 11th to the fifth position in the global economy," he asserted.
Nadda reiterated that in three years India will become the third-largest economy in the world if BJP retains power.
"Under PM Modi's leadership were national highways constructed or now? Were medical colleges and AIIMS built or not? Are Railway stations being reconstucted or not?" Nadda asked the public of Bengal as he sought votes for the BJP candidates in Bengal.
In Lok Sabha 2024 elections, TMC and BJP are contesting in all 42 seats in West Bengal.
Though still a part of the Opposition bloc--INDIA, the TMC chose to go it alone in Bengal. The Congress and the Left Front have a seat-sharing arrangement in the state under which the Left parties contest 30 seats and the Congress contests the remaining 12 seats.
In the first four phases elections have already been conducted in 18 seats, while the elections for the rest of the 24 seats will be held in the next three phases on May 20, May 25 and June 1.
Constituencies which will go to polls in the fifth phase are Bangaon, Barrackpur, Howrah, Uluberia, Srerampur, Hooghly and Arambagh.