TMC challenges BJP’s claim of 80 per cent tea garden closures

Alipurduar: A political row has erupted after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its pre-election chargesheet, claimed that 80 per cent of tea gardens in North Bengal’s Terai and Dooars are closed. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has strongly disputed the figure, challenging the BJP to identify even 10 per cent of tea gardens that have shut down.

According to industry estimates, there are 324 small and large tea gardens across the Terai and Dooars. The BJP’s chargesheet, released ahead of the Assembly elections, alleged widespread closures across the tea belt.

On Sunday, Alipurduar district BJP president Mithu Das distributed copies of the chargesheet at a press conference and defended the figures cited by the party’s state leadership, triggering debate in the region.

However, industry sources present a different picture. Of the 324 tea gardens, only six are currently closed, while three others are facing operational stagnation. The discrepancy has raised questions over whether incorrect data was provided to the BJP leadership or if the figures were exaggerated for political purposes.

Reacting to the claims, the Trinamool Cha Bagan Sramik Union challenged the BJP to substantiate its allegations.

Birendra Bara Oraon, state president of the union and TMC candidate from Kalchini, said the BJP leadership lacks ground-level understanding of the tea sector. He alleged that central authorities, including the Tea Board, have failed to function effectively due to this disconnect.

“Only a handful of tea gardens are closed—less than 2 per cent—and tea gardens are privately owned, where the state government has no direct role. Yet, the BJP claims 80 per cent are shut. We challenge them to prove that even 10 per cent of the gardens are closed,” he said.

According to the reports, Madhu, Lankapara, Ramjhora, Raipur, Sonali and Panighata tea gardens are closed, while three gardens in Banarhat are facing a stalemate.

Meanwhile, Bidyut Gun, district secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), dismissed the BJP’s claims as “completely false,” alleging that both major political parties have, at times, engaged in presenting misleading statistics that do not reflect ground realities.