Kolkata: BJP on Sunday called the state govt’s Yuva Sathi scheme “dole in exchange for votes” even as the party’s Bengal unit started preparations for PM Narendra Modi’s March rally at Brigade Parade Grounds. The unit has been tasked with reaching out to at least 150 key assembly constituencies with the message of industrialisation and building a narrative around joblessness.The saffron party, which has consistently criticised Trinamool’s social welfare schemes, called Yuva Sathi — a scheme to provide financial assistance to unemployed youth — “drama” and a replica of Trinamool’s promise of 17 lakh jobs in 2013.“What happened to the 17 lakh job applications in 2013,” asked leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari. He also questioned why state govt was not accepting Yuva Sathi applications online.Adhikari said that while youth can fill in forms, this govt cannot give them jobs. “They will get jobs only after the BJP is voted to office,” he added.Adhikari further said the scheme followed the same pattern as the 2021 Duare Sarkar scheme. “They simply want to create a show out of normal official procedure. It is the same thing we saw with Amader Para Amader Samadhan, which was a flop show,” Adhikari added.BJP’s Bengal election co-in-charge Biplab Deb said the BJP govt in Tripura had raised social welfare payments to Rs 2,000 back in 2022. “We did that four years ago in a small state like Tripura. Trinamool is bragging after giving Rs 1,500 for Lakshmir Bhandar in 2026. This is nothing but an attempt to fool people,” he said.Sources in Bengal BJP said the PM is likely to visit Kolkata in March once the higher secondary exams are over. The rally will be preceded by a rath yatra across the state after Holi. Party workers have been tasked with reaching out to households to seek opinions from people before coming out with the party’s election manifesto.
