Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose attended the INDIA bloc’s ‘Loktantra Bachao Rally’ at Ramleela Maidan, in national capital Delhi, on Sunday. At the rally TMC leader emphasised on the party being a part of the INDIA bloc, despite West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee snubbing the alliance, and declaring TMC candidates for all Lok Sabha seats.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had declared candidates for all Lok Sabha seats, skipping the seat sharing talks with Congress and CPI(M). This gave rise to rumours of rift between the alliance and TMC.
However, on Sunday, at the rally, TMC leaders emphasised on CM Mamata Banerjee’s support for the opposition bloc.
Hitting out at the central government, TMC MP Derek O’Brien said that this fight is “BJP versus democracy.”
“All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) is very much, was and will be a part of the INDIA alliance. This is the fight of BJP versus democracy. This fight is for Modi ki guarantee which has zero warranty. Zero warranty when it comes to price rise, jobs and protecting your institutions,” the TMC leader said.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose said, “On behalf of the TMC and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, I want to state that the TMC is with Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP. I also want to state that the TMC is with the INDIA alliance”.
Meanwhile TMC leader Kunal Ghosh harped on the relation between Mamata Banerjee and INDIA bloc and said, “INDIA alliance has been floated by our leader Mamata Banerjee, the name ‘INDIA’ was also given by the CM.”
Addressing speculations of rift between INDIA bloc and Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, Kunal Ghosh said, “We are with the INDIA alliance at the national level, but in West Bengal, the state Congress and CPM have become the agents of the BJP. They don’t have an organisation to fight the BJP, but they do politics against TMC to advantage BJP, and hence in Bengal, TMC will contest all 40 seats against the BJP, Congress and CPM…”
Mamata challenges BJP ‘to cross even 200 seats’
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday mocked the BJP’s target of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls and challenged the saffron camp to win at least 200 constituencies.
“The BJP is saying “400 paar”, I challenge them to cross the 200 seats benchmark first. In 2021 assembly polls, they gave a call of 200 plus seats but had to stop at 77,” she said.
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Published: 31 Mar 2024, 04:11 PM IST
