Fuel prices and cost of living took centre stage at a campaign rally in West Bengal on Friday as Abhishek Banerjee, General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), launched a sharp attack on the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election.
Addressing a mega rally in Binpur, Jhargram, in support of party candidate Birbaha Hansda, Banerjee issued a direct challenge to the BJP leadership, demanding a written assurance that prices of cooking gas, petrol, and diesel would not increase over the next five years.
“If BJP leaders can give a written guarantee that fuel and LPG prices will remain unchanged for five years, we are ready to withdraw our candidate,” Banerjee said. He alleged that the Centre was deliberately holding back price hikes until the conclusion of the elections, claiming that fuel prices would rise sharply immediately afterward.
“Immediately after the Bengal elections conclude, the Modi government will hike cooking gas prices to Rs 2,000 and petrol and diesel to Rs 200 per litre. They are simply waiting for the polls to end,” Banerjee said.
The TMC leader framed the issue as a major concern for common citizens, stating that any increase in fuel and LPG prices would further strain household budgets. He urged voters to consider the economic impact while casting their ballots.
Alongside his focus on price rise, Banerjee presented a “report card” of the state government’s welfare initiatives in the Binpur Assembly constituency. He highlighted that over 84,000 women are benefiting from the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, more than 3.15 lakh people are covered under ‘Swasthya Sathi’, and nearly 2.88 lakh individuals receive free rations.
He also pointed out that over 12,000 families have been provided housing under ‘Bangla Awas Yojana’, contrasting these measures with what he described as the Centre’s failure to control rising costs.
Banerjee further accused the central government of withholding funds meant for the state, including allocations under welfare and employment schemes, which he claimed added to the financial burden on the state and its residents.
He also alleged that the BJP was attempting to divert attention from economic issues by raising divisive narratives during elections.
Urging people to respond through the ballot, Banerjee reiterated that price rise would become a key issue after the elections and called on voters to “give a fitting reply” through the EVMs.
The rally underscored the TMC’s attempt to make fuel prices and cost of living a central theme in its campaign as the state heads toward a high-stakes electoral contest.
Also read: 'Battle for dignity': TMC Gen Secy turns heat on BJP in Nandigram
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