Anubrata challenges Shah to contest in Birbhum

Senior TMC leader Anubrata Mondal Tuesday said that the BJP is living in a "fool's paradise" by setting a target of winning 23 seats in West Bengal and challenged its president Amit Shah to contest the coming Lok Sabha polls from Birbhum constituency.

Mandal, who is the TMC in-charge of Birbhum and known for his controversial comments, said he would ensure that Shah losses the poll by a margin of "five to six lakh votes".

Reacting to Mondal's challenge, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh suggested that Mondal should protect his political turf.

"We have heard Amit Shah has set a target of winning 23 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. I want to tell BJP that they are living in fool's paradise. If Shah is so keen on winning elections then why doesn't he contest from Birbhum Lok Sabha polls? If he is so confident of winning 23 seats then he should also contest in Birbhum.

"I assure you that if he contests in Birbhum we (TMC) will defeat him by a margin of five to six lakh votes," Mondal said.

BJP has set the target of winning 23 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal.

Ghosh claimed that in Birbhum district TMC will lose both the seats - Birbhum and Bolpur and Mondal should protect his political turf rather than challenging others.

In West Bengal the 2019 Lok Sabha poll is a "semi-final match" for the BJP before it takes on redoubtable opponent Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 assembly polls.

On other hand the TMC, which is eyeing to play a major role in national politics in a post poll scenario, has given the call to oust the Modi government.