'2021 elections will be fought on dev work & not on muscle flexing'

Ghatal (West Midnapore): The 2021 polls will be fought on development work done and not on muscle flexing of the outsiders, Abhishek Banerjee, president, Trinamool Youth Congress and party's MP said. Addressing a gathering here on Saturday he also stated that "people will not forgive the Mirzafar."

Earlier, he took part at a mega roadshow that started from Niltala More and ended at the venue of the meeting. Thousands of Trinamool Congress (TMC) supports took part in the roadshow.

There was an emphatic "no" from the people when he asked during his speech whether they wanted outsiders or the daughter of the soil. This was Banerjee's first meeting after the schedule for 8-phase election in Bengal was announced on Friday by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Banerjee said: "By deploying outsiders the BJP cannot win the election as the people of the state are with Mamata Banerjee. These migratory leaders will come and go and during natural calamities and pandemic, but the only person whom the people will find beside them is Mamata Banerjee and her representatives."

He urged people to vote in favour of Trinamool to drive out the outsiders. "If we get your blessings then it will be 31-0 in favour of Trinamool Congress in East and West Midnapore. Let there be election in 8 phases and even if it is held 800 phase it will be impossible to defeat Trinamool."

Taking a dig at BJP Banerjee said: "I am not like him (Suvendu Adhikari) that by putting pressure on me you can force me to join BJP. My backbone is made of a different stuff and cannot be purchased," he remarked.

Without naming Suvendu Adhikari he urged people to "drive out the person who has played with the sentiments of the people of Midnapore. He has joined the saffron party that had vandalized the statue of pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, the noblest soul of Midnapore."

Criticising Dilip Ghosh, state BJP president, Abhishek said: "Dilip Ghosh is criticizing Swasthya Sathi project but his own family members at Gopiballavpur have taken the Swasthya Sathi card and are praising Mamata Banerjee."

Without taking the name of Adhikari family, he said: "Midnapore is not the ancestral property of anyone. It belongs to the people. Tamluk belongs to the local people, Kanthi belongs to the local people and Haldia belongs to the

local people." Abhishek assured the people that he would come to the area whenever they wanted and would take part in programmes. He concluded his speech saying "Drive out the outsiders as Bengal wants its own daughter."