Ballia (UP), Jan 11 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday praised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s “efficient leadership” in the state, while also asserting that the NDA would form the government in West Bengal.
Interacting with reporters after a school function in the Bhimpura area here, Rajbhar said, “I see Mamata Banerjee as a chief minister who has given efficient leadership in Bengal. As a woman, she has created a strong image in society.” He said, however, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would form the government this time.
Speaking about the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he said it is an “independent” agency. “When it receives complaints, it conducts investigations. One should cooperate in the investigation,” he added.
The ED on Thursday conducted searches on the premises of I-PAC and its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam. It has approached the Supreme Court alleging interference and obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Banerjee, in its probe and search operation.
Meanwhile, Rajbhar also ruled out any expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government’s Cabinet, dismissing speculation in this regard.
“We have been hearing about the Cabinet expansion for a long time. There is nothing like that now. No expansion is going to take place,” the minister said.
On the upcoming panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Panchayati Raj minister said they would be held on time.
“Panchayat elections will be held as scheduled. At present, all officials are engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They will be free by February 6, after which the entire process of panchayat elections will begin,” he said.
Targeting the Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank, Rajbhar dubbed it the “Parivar Development Authority”.
“PDA stands for Parivar Development Authority. Will a family now fight the NDA?” he said, claiming that the leaders associated with PDA lacked the strength to influence votes at the district and assembly levels.
He asserted that the NDA had leaders with electoral influence, naming Sanjay Nishad, Anupriya Patel, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak and himself, and added that the BJP also had its own strength.
“This PDA will not be able to compete till 2047,” Rajbhar said. PTI COR ABN PRK PRK
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