Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee said on 27 March that there is a strong possibility the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government will increase the prices of cooking gas and transport fuel after the assembly elections on 29 April.
West Bengal is voting in two phases for assembly elections on 23 and 29 April.
Addressing an election campaign for the TMC candidate in Binpur assembly constituency in Jhargram district, Birbaha Hansda, Banerjee also accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to take the necessary steps to address the worsening fuel crisis in West Bengal.
The TMC general secretary dared PM Modi and his ministers to make a promise at their election meetings that there would be no price hike in LPG, petrol, or diesel over the next five years.
"Rest assured, they (BJP) will not make any such pledge. Instead, once the election phase is over, take my words that on April 30, there is a strong possibility they will make domestic LPG price cost ₹2,000 and petrol-diesel ₹200 per litre," the Diamond Harbour MP said.
Banerjee's comments come after the Union government slashed excise duty on petrol to ₹3 per litre and fully exempted diesel from excise duty.
In a notification issued on 26 March, the Finance ministry cut excise duty to ₹3 a litre from ₹13, while the levy on diesel was slashed to nil from ₹10. The duty cuts are effective immediately, the ministry said.
The West Bengal election is being seen as a fight between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been in power in West Bengal since 2011, for three consecutive terms.
Banerjee, the de facto number two in the TMC, said that in 12 years of the BJP's tenure since 2014, the BJP hiked LPG prices from ₹400 per cylinder to ₹1,000.
"The BJP is not concerned about the plight of the common man. The Modi government only knows how to fool the people with false promises," he claimed.
The TMC leader alleged that the BJP treats opposition leaders with disdain.
"During a demonstration in Delhi against the Centre demanding state's dues, our MPs, MLAs and ministers were dragged and pushed by the Delhi police into vehicles. Women and representatives from backward castes and tribal leaders were also not spared. The BJP should not talk about democracy," Banerjee said in the rally.
Congress party also slams the Centre
The Congress party on 27 March claimed that the government's excise cuts will not change prices for dealers and consumers, and that the relief exists only in the narrative, not in reality.
The Congress said the government should focus on delivering actual relief to consumers, instead of "manufacturing headlines and fooling people."
Rest assured, they (BJP) will not make any such pledge. Instead, once the election phase is over, take my words that on April 30, there is a strong possibility they will make domestic LPG price cost ₹2,000 and petrol-diesel ₹200 per litre.
“If you saw the headlines about petrol and diesel prices 'coming down' and thought the government had offered relief to your pocket, you'd be mistaken,” Congress party's media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, said.
