Bengal: BJP leader Motiur Rahman joins TMC ahead of assembly polls
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Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal BJP leader and social worker Motiur Rahman on Saturday joined the ruling Trinamool Congress, ahead of the assembly elections.
Rahman was a BJP candidate in the 2021 assembly polls from Harishchandrapur in Malda. He was defeated by his TMC rival.
He joined the TMC at its headquarters here in the presence of senior party leader and minister Bratya Basu, and Rajya Sabha MP Nadimul Haque.
Assembly elections in West Bengal are likely to be held in April.
Basu said Rahman had secured a significant number of votes in the 2021 elections, helping the BJP emerge as the second-largest party in the constituency, traditionally considered a Congress stronghold.
“Many people had then said that a sizeable number of people in the area did not vote for the BJP, but for Motiur Rahman. His popularity and social work has earned him wide support,” Basu said.
Rahman said he decided to join the TMC to become a part of the development initiatives undertaken in the state under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Fourteen to fifteen years ago, there was very little development in rural Bengal. There were no proper roads or drinking water facilities in the countryside. After Mamata Banerjee came to power, development has taken place. I joined the TMC to contribute to that development,” he said.
“Besides, the BJP’s brand of politics is increasing division in society. I felt out of place in the BJP,” he added.
Haque said Rahman has been known for his social work among the poor.
“He has always helped people who approached him. Even as a minority candidate of the BJP, he received a good number of votes in the constituency. By joining us, he will be able to serve people in a better way,” Haque asserted.
Earlier on February 19, BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma from Kurseong had joined the TMC.
Sharma, while joining the TMC, had expressed resentment over "the functioning of the BJP, ignoring people of the hills”.
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Karnataka bypolls: BJP criticism driven by ‘fear of defeat’, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bagalkote (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the BJP’s criticism of the Congress government reflects a "fear of defeat" ahead of the April 9 bypolls.
He added that the state’s guarantee schemes are an investment in social commitment and inclusive development.
Speaking to reporters in Bagalkote, he expressed confidence that the Congress would win both bypoll-bound constituencies, adding that the campaign has received an unprecedented response, surpassing expectations.
The bypolls were necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented the Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies, respectively.
"We have provided schemes for people belonging to all castes, religions, and languages. The BJP is opposing the guarantee schemes out of fear of defeat, but these guarantees are an investment that delivers social commitment. This, too, is development," Siddaramaiah said.
The guarantee schemes are ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’, ‘Gruha Jyoti’, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’.
He added that development is not limited to physical infrastructure.
"Development does not mean only roads, bridges, and buildings. It also includes providing economic and social security," he said.
The CM stated that the BJP has opposed welfare measures since their inception and rejected claims that the state’s finances are under strain.
Referring to remarks by PM Narendra Modi and others, he said, "They (BJP leaders) have been claiming that the state will go bankrupt. However, guarantee schemes have been in force for the past three years, and till March 24, 2026, Rs 1.31 lakh crore has been spent on them." He maintained that spending on key sectors has not been curtailed.
"While Rs 42,000 crore was spent last year, more than Rs 44,000 crore is being spent this year," Siddaramaiah said, adding that expenditure on irrigation, public works, rural development, drinking water, policing, and SCSP/TSP schemes has not been reduced.
Development works have not slowed down, he added.
Accusing the BJP of running a smear campaign, Siddaramaiah said that allegations of excessive borrowing were "false propaganda".
"Saying that I have taken excessive loans is a blatant lie. We have not violated the norms of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and have maintained fiscal discipline," Siddaramaiah said.
Further, the CM advised BJP leaders to properly read the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
"The fiscal deficit should be within 3 per cent of GDP, and debt within 25 per cent of GDP. Our debt stands at 24.94 per cent, so it has not exceeded the limit," he said.
Stressing adherence to fiscal norms, he added that no state can borrow indiscriminately, as borrowing limits are fixed by the Union Finance Ministry.
He also claimed that Karnataka’s economic performance is stronger than that of the Centre.
Stating that the Centre’s GDP growth is 7.14 per cent while Karnataka’s is 8.1 per cent, Siddaramaiah said the state has outperformed the union government.
Drawing a comparison on public debt, he said that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and cumulatively since Independence, total debt stood at Rs 53.11 lakh crore, which has risen to Rs 218 lakh crore by March 2026.
He alleged that in the past 12 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone has added Rs 165 lakh crore in debt.
The CM criticised the BJP’s track record in the state, saying it failed to deliver on its promises despite being in power for nine years.
"Out of 165 promises made in the Congress manifesto in 2013, 158 were fulfilled. The BJP has not even fulfilled 10 per cent of its promises. They should speak the truth before the people during elections instead of spreading lies," he said.
In addition, he urged the BJP to highlight its own achievements instead of criticising Congress.
"During my tenure, the quantity of rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme was increased, which the BJP government later reduced. It was the Congress-led central government that implemented the Food Security Act, the Right to Work, and the Right to Education," he said.
Taking a swipe at the opposition’s campaign strategy, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP had stooped to a low level by using expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for campaigning.
"They have resorted to such acts out of fear of defeat. We will not react to statements of the opposition; we will present the work of the government before the people," he added.
