BJP will form next government in West Bengal: Ramdas Athawale

Panaji: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP will win more than 200 seats in the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly elections and form the next government in that state. Talking to reporters here, Athawale, whose party is an ally of the BJP-led central government, also said he will seek four to five seats for his Republican Party of India(A) in the West Bengal polls.

He claimed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit to West Bengal has proved that the days of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government are numbered.

"The BJP will win more than 200 seats in West Bengal. The party will form the next government there," the RPI(A) leader claimed.


He said Mamata Benerjee is getting baffled which is reflected in acts like the recent attack on the convoy of BJP president J P Nadda in West Bengal.

Athawale was speaking after meeting Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Both the leaders discussed issues related to the Scheduled Caste (SC) population in the coastal state.

"The RPI(A) has a good presence in West Bengal. There is 36 per cent SC population in the state. We would be asking for four to five seats in West Bengal polls with the BJP. I will discuss the issue with J P Nadda and Amit Shah," he said.