BJP had to purchase several candidates, party has spent crores on them: Mamata Banerjee

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee alleged on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been “purchasing” candidates in Bengal spending crores of rupees as they did not have enough people whom they could field in the assembly elections.

At a public rally in East Midnapore, Banerjee said, “The BJP didn’t have many people whom they could name as candidates. So, they have purchased many.”

During the day, she addressed three public rallies at Haldia, Khejuri and Panskura. On Friday too, she had commented how the BJP is struggling with their candidate list and the dedicated workers in the party were being left out, while the turncoats had been given tickets.

She also attacked her once close-aide and now BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari (though she did not name him) for walking out for “personal gains”. Banerjee said the leader used to punish everyone who did not agree to his ways. She said that she was dissuaded from visiting Singur, Nandigram or Khejuri by the ‘Mir Jafar’, whenever she wanted to. She said that the “gaddar” (traitor) did not want her to step into “his fiefdom”. Banerjee said that she was relieved that he had left the party and now she has the freedom to go wherever she wants, and added that she would often visit the house she has taken on rent in Nandigram.