Mamata Banerjee and Amit Shah on Thursday engaged in a furious war of words from two different electoral rallies in Darjeeling with Bengal Chief Minister vowing to form a Trinamool Congress-led Government at the Centre and the BJP president calling upon the people of Bengal to “drive away a corrupt, criminalised and chit fund-aided Trinamool Congress” dispensation from the State.

Shah speaking from a rally at Kalingpong said during Mamata regime, Bengal had seen a steady flight of capital leaving back a “syndicate raj.” There was “no industry except the bomb-making industry thriving in Bengal” he said adding “law and order situation in the State has deteriorated further from what it was earlier.”

Attacking the Chief Minister for “presiding over a Government of thugs and chit fund dealers” Shah said the poor man’s interest featured the least in Banerjee’s agenda. “She has done nothing for the tea workers, she has brought the State economy down as there is no employment, the people of Bengal have to go out to other States for employment,”

Shah said there was no democracy in the State and the ruling party was “clinging on to power by unleashing a goonda raj,” adding this time round the BJP would clinch 23 seats which will pave the way for Banerjee’s downfall in Bengal.

“Come May 23 it will be the beginning of TMC’s end in Bengal,” he said, the grand alliance of the Opposition parties which Banerjee was trying to lead would fall apart. Reacting sharply to Shah’s speech Banerjee who spoke hours later at Darjeeling dared the BJP to “save Delhi first before eying Bengal.”

She said “TMC will lead the coalition of parties to form a Government in Delhi,” asking the people to “vote for us as we will lead India from Bengal.” Attacking the BJP for selling the country’s interests to the rich Banerjee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was talking about terror and infiltration while during his regime terror attacks had increased manifold in India.