Balurghat, Jan. 7 -- From a roadshow in Itahar on Wednesday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee called on voters to ensure a clean sweep for the ruling party in all 15 Assembly seats in North Dinajpur in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Earlier, he had made a similar appeal for a 6-0 sweep in South Dinajpur. During the roadshow, Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP and its state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, alleging that they had done nothing for South Dinajpur and were instead focused on appeasing their "masters in Delhi".
Interacting with local residents shortly after arriving at Balurghat aerodrome around 1.30 pm, Banerjee questioned the BJP's contribution to the development of North and South Dinajpur.
"The roads and infrastructure you see today-were these built by the BJP or by the Trinamool Congress?" he asked, asserting that the region's development over the last 15 years was driven by the "visionary and people-centric schemes," of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Calling upon party workers and the public to support the TMC in all six Assembly constituencies-Balurghat, Gangarampur, Kushmandi, Tapan, Harirampur and Kumarganj-Banerjee said TMC representatives were reaching out to people with a clear report card of development. "Winning or losing is not our priority. Politics for us is about standing by people and working for them," he said, adding that the final verdict rested with the electorate.
Mounting a direct attack on Sukanta Majumdar, Banerjee challenged the Balurghat MP to make public any letters written to the Centre or projects secured for the district. "If he has done anything for Balurghat or South Dinajpur, let him show it in writing," he said, accusing the BJP of spreading "division and deprivation".
A major focus of Banerjee's visit was the case of two Bengali-speaking migrant labourers from South Dinajpur-Asit Sarkar and Gautam Barman-who were detained in Maharashtra for nearly seven months after allegedly being branded as Bangladeshis. Banerjee visited their homes in Balurghat, keeping a promise he had made earlier, and spent around 20 minutes listening to their accounts of incarceration, which he described as "inhuman and deeply disturbing".
"You all know how they were harassed. Without verification, they were labelled as Bangladeshis and put behind bars," Banerjee said, alleging that the BJP had failed to help them despite repeated appeals by their families. Gautam Barman's wife had reportedly approached Sukanta Majumdar, as Barman had earlier served as a BJP booth vice-president, but no assistance was forthcoming.
Speaking at the event, Sarkar credited Banerjee and the TMC for securing his release, while Barman alleged that BJP leaders did nothing. "It was Abhishek Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress who stood by me," he said.
"Forget party, politics. These two are from your Constituency. As a public representative, why didn't you help them? The Government in Maharashtra is led by the BJP. Why didn't you take steps to ensure their release from jail. If they are Bangladeshis for speaking in Bengali, then you are Bangladeshi for appealing for votes in Bengali," remarked Banerjee.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee visited the family of Osman Molla, an elderly resident of Kumarganj who reportedly died amid fear linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. He assured the family of assistance and announced that a memorial would be set up in Molla's name.
Accusing the BJP of spreading fear through SIR, Banerjee claimed that 65 people had died due to panic and challenged the media to verify whether BJP leaders had supported any affected families.
Banerjee concluded by saying that "abuse and attacks from the BJP only strengthen the TMC's bond with the people." He later left Balurghat by helicopter around 3.55 pm for Itahar after participating in a roadshow. From the roadshow, he departed for Malda, where he will be addressing the masses on Thursday.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.