West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday claimed that the ruling BJP would secure the support of 275 legislators in the 294-member state Assembly if a floor test were held, asserting that 64 MLAs elected on Trinamool Congress tickets would back his government.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the residence of a victim of the Chorbagan stampede, Adhikari challenged the opposition to test the government's strength in the Assembly.
"Let there be a floor test in the assembly tomorrow\... our numbers would reach 275," he asserted.
The Chief Minister's claim comes amid a major realignment of political forces in West Bengal following the BJP's victory in the April Assembly elections and the subsequent split in the Trinamool Congress.
๐ฆ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ'๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต
Adhikari maintained that the BJP government had secured its mandate through popular support rather than media campaigns or social media publicity.
"BJP did not win because of social media or television talk shows. I defeated (former CM) Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. (BJP MLA) Sajal Ghosh did not win because of social media. Ours is a Sanatani government elected by people," he said.
The BJP won 208 seats in the April Assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in West Bengal.
The TMC, which had dislodged the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in 2011 after 34 years in power, was reduced to 80 seats.
Adhikari claimed that the support of legislators elected on TMC tickets would substantially increase the ruling party's strength if a confidence vote were conducted.
๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐
Attacking the previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress administrations, Adhikari said his government needed more time to address what he described as the consequences of nearly five decades of governance by the two political formations.
"We have assumed power just around six months ago. It will take time to clean the dirt accumulated over the last 49 years," he said.
The Chief Minister also predicted a further decline in the political influence of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC.
"The Mamata AITC will end up losing its identity, numbers and flag as they don't have any public support in the state," he claimed.
๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The Trinamool Congress witnessed a major split following its electoral defeat, with a faction led by Arup Roy and Ritabrata Banerjee rebelling against the party leadership.
The rebel leaders staked claim to the Trinamool Congress name and its 'two flowers and grass' election symbol.
Ritabrata subsequently became the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly after securing the backing of more than two-thirds of the legislators elected on TMC tickets.
The Election Commission allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' to the rebel faction, while the group headed by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress'.
The political realignment extended to Parliament, where a majority of the TMC's Lok Sabha MPs merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India and extended support to the ruling NDA.
๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐บ'๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐
Adhikari made the remarks while visiting the family of a victim of the October 17 stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata.
The tragedy claimed 19 lives and left 25 people injured, raising concerns over crowd management and safety arrangements during the festive celebrations.
The Chief Minister's latest assertions have added a new dimension to the political developments in West Bengal, where the BJP holds a substantial Assembly majority and the opposition remains divided following the Trinamool Congress split.