However, Mamata Banerjee sought to leave out the Bengal Congress and the CPI(M) in the possible plan, accusing them of siding with the BJP…reports Asian Lite News
In a surprise move during the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that she would provide “outside support” to INDIA, the forum of the opposition parties, to help it form the next government at the Centre.
The Trinamool Congress supremo, who is a key figure in the anti-BJP forum but did not share seats with the Congress for the state polls, redefined her stand on INDIA while speaking at a TMC poll campaign rally in Chinsurah of Hooghly.
However, Banerjee put a condition in return for her new offer. She sought to leave out the Bengal Congress and the CPI(M) in the possible plan, accusing them of siding with the BJP against her in the state. The Congress and the CPI(M) hit back at her.
The CM said, “BJP declared out of ego: Is Baar Charso Paar. But people say: Nahi Hoga Doso Paar. Ebar Hobe Pogar Couple! So don’t count Bengal’s CPI(M) and Congress in INDIA because these two are here with the BJP and not with us. I am talking about Delhi.”
She added, “We will lead INDIA and provide outside support in all possible ways to form the government so that no problems arise for our mothers and sisters of Bengal and the 100-day job guarantee scheme.”
Taking a swipe at Banerjee, Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy alleged: “Banerjee, on the pretext of offering ‘outside support’ to INDIA, has sent a message to the BJP that she is still with them and that nothing is wrong. about the.”
He noted: “Like a weathercock, she wants to fly in the direction of the wind. She’s always done it. This is its political tendency. She sides with INDIA when it suits her, but maintains a good relationship with BJP.”
Echoing him, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said: “The people of Bengal have discovered that Banerjee was helping the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi relied on her more than the BJP leaders because of the expanding his party’s and the BJP’s network here. .”
He also claimed, “It is common knowledge that the BJP will not be able to form a government this time. But Ms Banerjee has started playing a balancing act. She entered INDIA but kept her distance from Congress. This means that like BJP, it is also against Congress.”
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim blamed the Indian Secular Front, which has MLA Noushad Siddiqui, for not forging an alliance with the Left and Congress over seat-sharing in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, even after the first conversations between the three. Siddiqui challenged Salim to justify his claims.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court’s recent cancellation of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs was the result of a joint conspiracy hatched by the CPI-M, Congress, and the BJP, Mamata Banerjee has alleged.
“Whenever we are trying to arrange jobs, they approach the court and stall the appointment process. We have heard of man-eating tigers… But they are job-eaters,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an election rally at Kalyani under the Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency in support of party nominee Biswajit Das.
She also said that the lawyers of the Congress, CPI-M, and the BJP were disheartened after the Supreme Court put a stay on the Calcutta High Court order.
To recall, in a crucial ruling last month, the Calcutta High Court cancelled 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016. The case is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Later, the Supreme Court stayed the order of the Calcutta High Court, invalidating their appointment made by the WBSSC in the state-run and state-aided schools.
Addressing the gathering on Tuesday, the Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter’s recent pronouncement of five guarantees for West Bengal at an election rally in the state.
“Whenever someone gives a guarantee, he should honour that. Ten years back, he gave the guarantee to transfer Rs 15 lakh to each citizen’s account. But the money never came. Five years back, he promised two crore jobs. But instead of creating government jobs, the public sector units are being privatised. So, such guarantees mean nothing,” Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister also alleged that out of the fear of defeat (in the Lok Sabha elections), the BJP and the Union government are trying to manipulate the polling process by tampering the EVMs.
“An attempt was made at Krishnanagar on Monday, which was foiled after the Trinamool staged a protest,” the Chief Minister said. She also predicted that this time the BJP will end up winning 195-200 seats. “The anti-BJP forces together will grab 295-315 seats,” she claimed.
