KOLKATA: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has sent overtures to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee – a former NDA ally – when he expressed confidence that she will fulfill the aspirations of the people after taking over from the Left which had “ruined the state for 32 years”.
He also alleged that the Centre is discriminating against non-UPA states including West Bengal.
Modi appeared to be reaching out to Trinamool Congress which can be a prospective NDA ally after it walked out of the UPA government.
“What you see in Gujarat is a result of 12-13 years of hard work, not of one or two years. Congress had created such potholes that it took me so much time to fill them. In West Bengal, the Left government created these potholes for 32 years. I don’t know how many years of efforts it will take before they are filled,” the Chief Minister said.
He was speaking at a program organized by the Merchants Chamber of Commerce here.
“I believe efforts are being made to fill these potholes and I am confident that the dreams of the people will be fulfilled,” Modi said.
BJP needs more allies to strengthen NDA and TMC is said to be on its radar especially after it broke off from the Congress-led UPA. But with Muslims forming a sizable 24 per cent of the West Bengal population, Banerjee is reportedly apprehensive about a tie-up with BJP, more so if Modi, who has the image of a Hindu hardliner, is the party’s face in the Lok Sabha polls.
Modi tried to reach out to Banerjee by raking up the issue of ‘discrimination’ against non-Congress ruled states and maintained that the Centre was trying to demolish the federal structure. –PTI
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