Fri Nov 07 19:12:06 UTC 2025: News Article:

BJP MP Gangopadhyay Criticizes Central Government’s Handling of West Bengal

Kolkata, November 8, 2025 – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay ignited a political firestorm on Friday, November 7, 2025, with scathing remarks criticizing the central government’s approach to West Bengal. The former Calcutta High Court Justice, representing the Tamluk constituency, expressed disappointment that the Centre isn’t doing enough to dislodge Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from power in the state.

In interviews with local media outlets, Gangopadhyay voiced his frustration. “I had hoped that Mamata Banerjee would be removed from here, and that every step would be taken to that end. But I have not been able to reach this agenda, and the complete blame for this is on the central government.” He questioned the lack of investigations into alleged corruption involving TMC leaders.

Gangopadhyay also raised concerns about the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) handling of election-related issues in West Bengal. He pointed to instances where the ECI directed action against state government officials for faulty voter lists, but claimed that no tangible steps were taken.

Furthermore, Gangopadhyay echoed concerns about identity politics, stating that leaders from the Hindi-speaking belt cannot effectively campaign in West Bengal due to a lack of understanding of the local culture and people.

These controversial statements, made months before the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in mid-2026, have exposed potential divisions within the West Bengal BJP leadership. Gangopadhyay’s transition from judge to politician, following his win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has been met with scrutiny, particularly from the TMC, who have questioned the impartiality of his past rulings in corruption cases.

Gangopadhyay presided over multiple cases involving corruption in State-run schools. He had annulled the jobs of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in State-run schools, a judgement that was upholded in the Supreme Court, which led to job losses of thousands of people across the State and triggered protests which lasted for months.

Summary:

BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay publicly criticized the central government for not doing enough to remove the TMC from power in West Bengal. He also questioned the ECI’s effectiveness and warned against imposing North Indian leaders on the state. His comments have sparked controversy months before the state assembly elections. Gangopadhyay’s past as a judge who ordered investigations into corruption cases, and then annulled jobs of thousands of teachers, has been questioned by the TMC.

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