Seeking to reach out to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, BJP president Rajnath Singh today said that a "handsome package" would be given for the development of West Bengal if his party formed the next government.
The BJP chief's overture to Banerjee came a few days after the two parties locked horns over Narendra Modi's attack on the TMC chief on April 27 at a poll rally in Serampore in Hooghly district.
Modi at the rally had questioned the high price of Rs 1.80 crore paid for a particular painting of Mamata Banerjee while acknowledging that he respected art.
"I respect art. But who was the person who bought the painting for Rs 1.80 crore?" Modi had wondered.
Singh while addressing a meeting at Naihati said, "If you (TMC) want to fight, fight with the Congress. Why are you fighting with the BJP? Stop fighting with BJP." "I assure you that our government would be formed in Delhi. For the development of West Bengal and to remove poverty and unemployment, whatever big package is necessary, we will give it," he said.
Modi had also stated that she had broken the dreams of the people of Bengal. This infuriated TMC which dubbed Modi as "Butcher of Gujarat". The TMC also demanded that Modi apologise publicly or face a defamation case for questioning the sale of Banerjee's painting.
At another rally at Midnapore's Keshiyari, Singh said in the event of his party coming to power, one of its foremost tasks would be to deal with illegal migration from Bangladesh.
"One of our priorities after the elections will be to locate the illegal migrants from Bangladesh and take action against them," the veteran leader said.
At another rally in Murshidabad district's Panchthupi, Singh, however, bracketed Trinamool Congress with the Left Front in 'failing' Bengal.
"The CPI(M) ruined West Bengal in its 34-year rule and people brought Mamata Banerjee to power in the state with high expectations. But, after coming to power she neglected people's aspirations. There has been no development in the state and it has utterly failed in meeting the expectations of the people."
At Budge Budge Birlapur, the leader said that the BJP was seeking votes to allow it to build the nation anew and vehemently opposed suggestion that his party was communal.
Coming down hard on the Congress, Singh said that in its total 55 years of rule, unemployment and poverty, the twin scourges, had risen and prices of commodities increased.
"Whereas during our rule between 1998 and 2004, prices had remained checked, though the country had been facing the prospect of war with Pakistan".
He said within one month of coming to power, the BJP government would initiate action to mop up black money and that the money would be spent for development of the country
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