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BJP slams Trinamool, Mamata Banerjee over Yusuf Pathan's candidature in Bengal
Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the Trinamool Congress doesn't have suitable candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
Kolkata: Reacting to Trinamool Congress' candidates list for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP on Sunday said the Mamata Banerjee-led party is trying to bring “people from outside”. Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar pointed out that TMC candidates Kirti Azad and Yusuf Pathan aren't from the state.
"Just half an hour before TMC's list was announced, Abhishek Banerjee was making statements like the BJP is anti-Bengal. Now, when the candidates are announced, it's clear that TMC is bringing people from outside. I don't know if Kirti Azad and Yusuf Pathan are Bengali, Yusuf Pathan is from Gujarat, and so is PM Modi, but for them, PM Modi is an outsider," he said.
Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the Trinamool Congress doesn't have suitable candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
"They (TMC) don't have any candidates and hence they've given the ticket to a sitting minister. INDIA alliance is nothing but a ship without a captain. It's CM Mamata Banerjee's strategy and also she is in fear that no other leader gets much importance that one can become a bigger leader than Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, hence they give tickets to actresses so that her nephew continues to be a politician," he added.
The Trinamool Congress has declared ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan as its candidate from Baharampur.
Baharampur is currently held by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The Congress hasn't declared Chowdhury as its candidate for the seat yet.
Meanwhile, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also slammed the TMC over Yusuf Pathan's candidature.
"If TMC wanted to honour Yusuf Pathan, they should've sent him to the Rajya Sabha instead of sending 'outsiders'," he said.
He said Mamata Banerjee should have asked the INDIA alliance to field him from Gujarat, his home state.
"If Mamata Banerjee had good intentions for Yusuf Pathan, she would have asked alliance (INDIA alliance) for a seat for him (Yusuf Pathan) in Gujarat. But here in West Bengal, he is selected as a candidate to polarise the common man and to help the BJP, so that Congress can be defeated... Mamata Banerjee has proven today that none of the political parties of India should trust a leader like her... Mamata Banerjee is in fear that if she continues to be in the INDIA alliance, PM Modi will be unhappy. By separating herself from the INDIA alliance, she has sent a message to the PMO, don't be unhappy with me, I am not standing to fight against the BJP," he added.
Mamata Banerjee had declared that her Trinamool Congress would contest the elections in Bengal alone. Her party had blamed Chowdhury for her decision.
Banerjee's announcement of the list has dashed the Congress party's hopes for an alliance in West Bengal.
Yusuf Pathan thanks Mamata Banerjee
Meanwhile, Yusuf Pathan thanked Mamata Banerjee.
"I'm eternally grateful to Mamata Banerjee for welcoming me into the TMC family and trusting me with the responsibility to become people's voice in the Parliament. As representatives of the people, it is our duty to uplift the poor and deprived, and that is what I hope to achieve," he added.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
