E-Paper
‘Don’t depend on Congress’: Mamata messages regional parties after big BJP win
The BJP should stop daydreaming, said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, her response to BJP pitch that its victory in the four states reflects the mood for 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday renewed her call for a united opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, telling regional political parties that depending on the Congress won’t serve a purpose. Banerjee’s call comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delivered a phenomenal performance in four of the five assembly elections.
“I want all political parties, who want to fight the BJP, must fight together. Depending on the Congress will not serve any purpose. There was a time when Congress was in power in multiple states, but now the party is losing credibility. Regional political parties must work together… There may be a decision on this,” Banerjee said.
“If the opposition is fractured, the vote would get divided. Akhilesh Yadav had to fight alone against Mayawati, the Congress and the BJP. Likewise, we in West Bengal fought against BJP, CPIM and Congress. The BJP got advantage as the opposition vote was divided,” she told reporters.
Asked whether she would take any initiative to unite the opposition, Banerjee said: “There are many other leaders. Let’s see who takes the initiative. I will be there if there is any initiative”.
The chief minister also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments on the assembly polls results putting the BJP in the pole position for 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
In his victory speech, PM Modi said many people earlier said that the fate of the 2019 general election was decided when the BJP won the 2017 UP election. “I can say that the same thought applies now too... the 2024 general election result can be glimpsed in the result of the 2022 UP election,” he said.
Asked about PM Modi’s remark, Banerjee shot back: “They have decided everything about a child which is yet to be born… This is impractical… Who can say what will happen in these two years,” the TMC supremo said.
Earlier in the morning, election strategist Prashant Kishor also sought to counter PM Modi. “Battle for India will be fought and decided in 2024 & not in any state #elections Saheb knows this! Hence this clever attempt to create frenzy around state results to establish a decisive psychological advantage over opposition. Don’t fall or be part of this false narrative,” Kishor tweeted on Friday
The BJP said that the TMC should aim for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls as the 2024 results have been decided.
“The TMC is making a steady downward progress. In Goa it secured sixth position after NOTA. They should aim for the 2029 polls. The people have already decided the fate of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” said Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesman in West Bengal.
The TMC had contested the polls in Goa in alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Mamata Banerjee said she did not think that getting 6% vote share in Goa within just three months of campaign was a bad performance.
“We have secured 6% votes in just three months. This is more than enough. It was a pre-poll alliance with the MGP. So, we don’t know what they would do now. But we don’t like this (MGP supporting the BJP) and we oppose this as there was a pre-poll alliance,” she added.
While calling the defeat of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh as an ‘EVM mandate’ and not a people’s mandate, the TMC supremo advised Yadav to challenge the mandate and seek a forensic test as several complaints related to EVMs had poured in.
“If you calculate, the vote share of Akhilesh Yadav has shot up from 21% to around 37%. Even when he was in the government, his vote share was around 36%. Akhilesh’s seat share has increased by 78 whereas BJP seats fell by 54,” Banerjee said.
She said that she called SP leader Kiranmay Kanda to send a message to Yadav. “I told him that Akhilesh should not feel upset and be strong and fight the battle. We are with you.”
