Despite mass deletions, we’ll emerge victorious for the fourth term: Mamata

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday held five programmes in support of party candidates across multiple constituencies, intensifying her campaign while launching sharp attacks on the BJP and the Election Commission (EC).

She asserted that she would return to power for a fourth consecutive term, alleging that the BJP was trying to unseat her government using “all machineries” at its disposal.

Addressing rallies, Banerjee claimed that despite sustained pressure and the alleged misuse of central agencies to target Trinamool Congress leaders and influence the electoral process, her party would emerge victorious. “The BJP may try everything to bring us down, but people are with us. We will come back for the fourth time,” she said, urging voters to remain vigilant against what she described as external interference.

From Panihati, Banerjee said the people of Bengal would give a befitting reply to what she termed “atrocities”, alleging that the CPI(M) was acting as the BJP’s “biggest agent”.

Targeting both the BJP and the CPI(M), she claimed that they, along with the Congress, had come together. “They are all cousins,” she remarked, questioning why there were no protests against alleged CPI(M) excesses. Later, addressing a roadshow near Baguiati bus stand in support of candidates Aditi Munshi (Rajarhat-Gopalpur) and Sujit Bose (Bidhannagar), Banerjee took a swipe at the Election Commission over its recent warning to the party. “I am proud of the Election Commission. I congratulate them, you have given us an ultimatum—we are happy, we are proud because it shows the Election Commission has understood who is actually fighting for the sake of common people,” she said.

Referring to the Commission’s remarks, she added, “Do you know why we are proud? Because the Commission has understood Trinamool, it has realised we do not step back from a fight. We have helped people get their names on the voter list without seeing whether they are Hindu or Muslim.”

Earlier in the day, Banerjee addressed multiple public meetings in Minakhan, where she promised to make Sundarbans a separate district after the TMC would be re-elected.

She also accused the BJP of trying to create a situation “similar to the President’s rule” with the EC’s help.

Referring to Modi’s allegation that Bengal has turned into “a factory of infiltrators,” Banerjee claimed that the Centre had said in Parliament in 2025 that around 2,200 infiltrators are in the country.

“Then how do your leaders talk about lakhs of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas? (It appears) that we are all Rohingyas, and you are the only citizen of this land,” the TMC chief said.

She added that even if the allegation about large-scale infiltration is correct, then guarding the international border is the responsibility of the Centre.

Asking Modi “not to cross limits,” Banerjee said she would then be forced to come out with more facts.

She said: “You say something and do the other thing, you speak lies. Who has forgotten your claims in 2014 that there would be 2 crore jobs. What happened to that? What happened to the claim about Rs 15 lakh entering everyone’s bank account?”

She alleged that Modi is changing the Constitution, distorting history and believes in the “religion of riots, not in the religion of humanity”.

Banerjee later joined a street march in Baranagar in support of party candidate Sayantika Banerjee, where she walked for nearly 40 minutes amid a large turnout of supporters, many of them women. The crowd lined both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the chief minister, reflecting the strong mobilisation by the ruling party.