Mr Gandhi made these comments while addressing an election rally for the South Malda Congress candidate in English Bazaar town today.
In a second rally of the day in north Bengal at Malbazaar for the party's Jalpaiguri candidate Mr Sukhabilash Barma, Mr Gandhi said that the people were frustrated with Left Front misrule in the state. “While the whole country is heading towards a brighter future, the CPI-M has no intention to move with the pace. The West Bengal government has failed to implement Central projects like NREGA, Indira Awas Yojna etc. earmarked for the benefit of the people,” he alleged.
According to Mr Gandhi, West Bengal was behind Uttar Pradesh in terms of development. “Uttar Pradesh is lagging behind but while flying in I saw the dismal condition of this state and have to say West Bengal is behind UP in terms of development,” he said in Malda.
Mr Gandhi also criticised the NDA's former slogan, “India Shining.” “We cannot say India is shining if we cannot banish poverty. We cannot use this phrase when a farmer continues to languish below the poverty level and a child continues to remain out of primary school education,” he said.
Mr Rahul Gandhi's convention at Malbazaar indicates that the Congress leadership is targeting the tribal vote bank in the Dooars. The district Congress president Mr Biswaranjan Sarkar confirmed that Mr Gandhi is presently dealing with the problems of tribal people in India.
