For the first time after confirming her “ekla chalo” policy in Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directly attacked the Congress party on Friday, said that with all the yatras and rallies they were undertaking in the country, they would not be able to win even 40 seats in the Parliamentary elections.
Launching a scathing attack on the Bengal leg of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, where Banerjee’s arch-rival CPI(M) made a full-blast appearance, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, “I had told them, as a constituent of the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), that the Congress should contest from 300 seats, and the remaining 245 seats the INDIA partners will fight. There, the Congress must not interfere. But what we saw here, without informing me, they have come here in a Yatra.”
Directly refuting the Congress’ claims that it had repeatedly requested Banerjee to join the Yatra in Bengal, Banerjee said, “Why don’t you go to Rajasthan, UP, and MP where you used to be strong and which places you have lost to the BJP? You have come to disturb us here as vote cutters.”She continued, “You may be a bigger party, but such is your arrogance that you do not even have the courtesy to respect others.” Banerjee asked, “Where were you when women were being raped and killed in Manipur? Instead of going to the right places, you have come to weaken the constituents of INDIA. Why did you start your Yatra from Bengal and not any other place?”
Comparing Rahul to Vasant Kokil (cuckoo) or any other bird, Banerjee said, “Some people appear during or before the elections and then simply vanish, whereas we work for the people throughout the entire year. Here, some people are going to bid workers as though they are bidders, and indulge in selfies, but such tactics will not work in Bengal because only the TMC can take on the BJP here and no one else.”
Stating that the Congress had rejected her proposal on seat sharing, she said, “We had offered them two seats, which they cannot win alone, but they are asking for many more seats. Then I told them to contest from all the seats and came out of the discussion, deciding to contest alone.”
Meanwhile, Rahul’s Yatra of Bengal ended on Friday when it entered neighbouring Jharkhand via Birbhum district.
