Malda, February 5: The political climate in West Bengal is heating up over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of the voter list. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard a new petition from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Following this, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh targeted Banerjee, stating that regardless of the court’s opinion, she is unlikely to comply.
In a media interaction on Thursday, Ghosh remarked, “Everyone knows the Chief Minister’s language. She disrespects the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, and speaks ill of former party president Nadda. Her language reflects her disregard for the Constitution and the court.”
Ghosh further asserted that the people of West Bengal will decide the course of action. He noted, “The Supreme Court and High Court have spoken before, but no matter what the court says, Mamata Banerjee will not accept it. She only approaches the court when in trouble, but disregards its decisions when they don’t favor her.”
Meanwhile, Ghosh referred to the interim budget to be presented in the West Bengal Assembly as the final budget of the Mamata Banerjee government. He stated, “This is the last budget of the Trinamool Congress government. They will not have the opportunity to present another budget.” He also expressed skepticism about the budget’s potential to inspire hope among the people of Bengal, suggesting it may include announcements aimed at garnering votes.
It is noteworthy that the West Bengal government, led by Mamata Banerjee, will present the interim budget on Thursday. All eyes will be on announcements related to the Laxmi Bhandar scheme, Dearness Allowance (DA), and salaries for ASHA workers.
The ‘Laxmi Bhandar’ project was a promise made before the 2021 assembly elections. After winning, Mamata Banerjee fulfilled this commitment. The state government increased the financial assistance for this popular scheme among women before the last Lok Sabha elections. Currently, women from the General category receive ₹1,000 per month, while Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women receive ₹1,200 monthly.
It is anticipated that Mamata Banerjee may increase the Laxmi Bhandar amount in this interim budget to secure women’s votes.