Kolkata: Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP poster boy Narendra Modi on Tuesday began his much-awaited interface with West Bengal industry captains by saying that the state has suffered a lot in the past 32 years due to misgovernance and blamed the Centre for neglecting the non-Congress ruled states.

“The central government’s work machinery is at a standstill. The UPA government at the Centre is discriminating against non-Congress government while lending funds for development,” he said.

Cornering the UPA government, Modi said that the discrimination by the Centre is adversely affecting the development in the non-Congress ruled states, and urged them to raise their voice against the step-motherly treatment being given to them.

“Centre is discriminating against non-Cong ruled states. I see this happening with West Bengal too,” Modi said.

The Gujarat leader also blamed the erstwhile Left Front government, which has created potholes in West Bengal‘s path of development in the past 32 years, and said that it will take time to fill them.

Reaching out to Trinamool Congress chief and state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Modi expressed confidence that West Bengal government will fulfill people’s dreams.

He also told the industry veterans that he had come to learn from them and will implement that in his state.

Hailing West Bengal’s contribution to the freedom struggle, the flamboyant Gujarat Chief Minister said that the state was way ahead of its times in 18th century and has the potential to contribute to nation’s economic growth.

“I am sure that I will learn a lot from everyone in Kolkata and implement that in Gujarat,” he said, adding, “Our journey to progress must begin from West Bengal.”

“West Bengal has been and is the gateway to the development of north and north-east India, “he said.

The interaction between Modi, who arrived here on Monday night, and Bengal businessmen is crucial amid concerns over Bengal’s fading investment prospects after the Singur fiasco, where Modi’s Gujarat gained at Bengal’s cost, an irony which is hard to miss.

This is the charismatic-as-well-as-controversial leader’s first visit to the Trinamool Congress ruled state after being elevated to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s parliamentary board.

Banerjee announced Monday she was leaving on a two-day trip to Delhi to discuss the state’s financial matters with the prime minister and union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

“She is shy of meeting Modi,” quipped Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra, of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

Modi’s visit, however, has already generated a controversy with the state BJP accusing the Banerjee administration of refusing to make the metropolis’ landmark Netaji Indoor Stadium available for the party’s high-profile leader’s giant civic reception April 9.

The party has now settled for the much smaller “Mahajati Sadan” where the 62-year-old Modi will address BJP leaders and workers.

“When we asked for the Netaji Indoor in mid-March, we were told it is available. But at the last minute we were informed that it has been booked by a business group,” state BJP secretary Ritesh Tewari said.

Earlier in the day, Modi, widely touted as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, will speak at a special session of businessmen on how he transformed Gujarat into one of the fastest growing states in India.

The special session will be organised jointly by MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Bharat Chamber of Commerce at a plush five-star hotel of the city.

Experts say the industry-hungry state’s economic prospects took a major hit after the turn of events in Hooghly district’s Singur, where a sustained and intense agitation by then opposition Trinamool Congress led by Banerjee forced Tata Motors to relocate its proposed small car plant to Gujarat’s Sanand in 2008.

Despite the Banerjee government’s several attempts to attract big ticket investments, entrepreneurs have so far given the state a cold shoulder.

Modi has been touring several states of late, meeting business captains and party activists, in an apparent bid to position himself for the top political role ahead of next year’s general elections.

However, his visit to the eastern metropolis assumes significance in view of constant comparisons being made over the past few months between the investment climate in Gujarat and Mamata’s Bengal, a parallel which the Bengal leader never liked.

Already speculation is rife that a number of Bengal business honchos are likely to give the Modi show a miss, as they are loathe to annoy Banerjee by being seen with the Gujarat strongman. While some industrialists have cited advance travel plans, some other big shots are taking shelter behind the oft-used excuse “major commitments”.

It is also one of the first visits of Modi to a state where the BJP is a weak force. However, the BJP leadership is hoping that Modi’s visit will give a boost to the party in the state.

In fact, last month, BJP chief Rajnath Singh said here his party was eyeing the number one opposition party’s tag after the next assembly elections slated for 2016. Modi’s tour has to be politically seen in that light.