LS polls
Mamata Banerjee says 'very much part of INDIA...it was my brainchild'. ' I don't trust her,' responds Adhir
A day after Mamata Banerjee announced support for the INDIA bloc from outside to form a government at the Centre, the Bengal Chief Minister Thursday said she is very much a part of the alliance, which was 'her brainchild' and that she was the one to give it a name.
Banerjee, who is not a part of the INDIA bloc in West Bengal, said at an election rally on Wednesday: "After four phases of elections, it is certain that BJP is set to lose. They do not have much opportunity to win massive seats in the remaining three phases as well. They will lie but won't be able to win. BJP won't cross even 200, forget about their call to win 400 seats."
"We will lead the INDIA bloc and give it outside support to form the government so that women and MGNREGA workers in West Bengal do not face any hurdle."
This afternoon at a poll rally in Tamluk, Banerjee underlined her position, saying, "I am very much part of INDIA... it was my brainchild. We are together at national level and will continue to be together."
Banerjee did, however, make it clear on both occasions that she does not see the Congress' state unit and the CPM, as allies.
"But when I say this, I don't include Bengal Congress and CPI-M because they are with the BJP," the Trinamool Congress chief added.
She decided to go solo in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal after having a tiff with the Congress on the seat-sharing deal.
Reportedly, the TMC offered two seats to the Congress but the grand old party demanded around 10.
The Left and Congress then went on with their seat-sharing deal in 42 Lok Sabha seats which are up for grabs.
Adhir Chowdhury's response:
Responding to Banerjee's statement, Congress Bengal unit boss Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said: "What she will do from outside (the alliance) or inside... I don't know. That you have to ask her. But I don't trust her. She left the alliance... she could even run to BJP."
Speaking to reporters, he said: "Whatever complaints she has (about the bloc) she should have raised earlier, when it was created."
Chowdhury further pointed out the apparent U-turn came after polling for nearly 70 per cent of all Lok Sabha seats, with the opposition bloc claiming big advances in its bid to oust the ruling BJP.
"They (referring to the BJP) were talking about destroying Congress and that Congress would not get 40 seats... but now (what) she (Mamata Banerjee) is saying means Congress and INDIA are coming to power," he said.
#WATCH | West Bengal: On CM Mamata Banerjee's remarks "will support INDIA bloc from outside to form govt at Centre", Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says, "I don't trust her. She left the alliance and ran away. She can also go towards the BJP... They were talking about… pic.twitter.com/F3unHSUfD6
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2024
Meanwhile, the BJP, which swept North and West of India in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is aiming to increase its tally from the other zones.
The BJP will definitely eye to improve its performance five years after it surprised the TMC by increasing its tally from 2 to 18 while the ruling party of the state nosedived from 34 to 22.
The results of the ongoing elections will be declared on June 4.
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