Will form govt for the 3rd time: Mamata
Haldia: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, setting aside the claims of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of change of guard in the state, assured that she will form the government in Bengal for the third consecutive term with a two-third majority.
Terming BJP as the 'biggest extortionist in the world' for its alleged 'irregularities' in PM-CARES fund and selling out of "national assets", Banerjee said: "People want a 'pabitra' (pure) party to be in power and that is none other than Trinamool Congress. If I understand elections, then I can confidently say that TMC will form the government with more than two-third of seats. Trinamool Congress will not get less than that."
Referring to a survey of a Bengali news channel that telecasted on Thursday that BJP will get 68 per cent votes, she said: "It (the survey) is absolutely misleading. I have no objection if someone shows a true survey. But it was prepared in BJP's party office. Some news channels benefit from BJP's money or owners are threatened. Journalists are not at fault." In all the three back-to-back rallies at Haldia, Khejuri and Panskura on Saturday, Banerjee harped that only TMC will form the government again.
In the same breath, Banerjee targeted Modi saying that the country's economy has been destroyed by him and referred to his hasty decision of "note bandi" (demonetisation) and selling out of national assets starting from "banks, railways to BSNL". "It was Modi's note bandi to bank bandi that led to the destruction of the country's economy," she said and also alerted people saying that "he is selling out everything and would also sell out Haldia Port if voted to power (in the state). They have sold out everything. But they are yet to do the same in Bengal as we are in power here."
Banerjee's attack on BJP comes when Modi raised allegations of corruption against the TMC while addressing a poll rally in Kharagpur on Saturday itself. He claimed that Banerjee's government put a barrier on the path of development in the past 10 years and allowed "loot, misgovernance and violence" in the state.
Upping her ante, she said: "BJP is the world's biggest extortionist. They have collected lakhs and crores of rupees in the name of the PM-CARES fund. But it is sad that common people are not getting the Covid vaccine now. This is at a time when the outbreak is again rampant. Already, four to five months have passed after he (Modi) promised the same before Bihar polls."
"How much have they collected by selling banks, railways, telecom, etc? After bagging lakhs and crores of rupees, now they are trying to label the Trinamool Congress as 'tolabaz'," she said.
Without naming BJP's Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari, she further maintained: "Someone whom TMC helped to grow and gave so much love and affection is now in BJP. Is there any bigger extortionist than him?"
She urged one and all not to cast a single vote to CPI(M) and people like Lakshman Seth in a land that is deeply connected with the country's freedom movement.
When Modi raised allegations of "violence" in Bengal, Banerjee has highlighted a series of incidents of women atrocities in BJP-led states including the one in Hathras. "A woman was burnt alive in their state. Women are also not safe in BJP also," she said.
The TMC supremo added that it is her party that guarantees an overall development by ensuring the state's economic growth beside helping 10 crore people avail benefits of schemes, including Swasthya Sathi, Kanyashree, Sabuj Sathi, etc. The people cheered loudly when she announced the construction of a bridge connecting Nandigram and Haldia.
