Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the fight would be between the "United India" versus "some isolated people."
She was addressing the media after declaring the list of candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls at her Kalighat residence on Tuesday afternoon.
"This election is going to be challenging because it will be a contest between the 'United India' forces versus some isolated people. It will also sound the 'death knell' for the BJP and bring an end to Narendra Modi's "reign of fear", Banerjee asserted.
"Never in the past have we seen such an arrogant Prime Minister. He has scared everyone — from mediapersons to government officials to the common people. Everyone in India is scared of him."
Banerjee also maintained that demonetisation, mounting unemployment, deprivation of the working class and farmers would be the key issues in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. "In the past five years, no development work had been carried out by the BJP-led Centre. They have tried to divide the country on the basis of caste and religion. The Dalits have been oppressed and tortured. They have changed history and politicised the institutions."
Referring to the note ban, she said the Board of Governors of the Reserve Bank did not know about the matter. "The country wants to know under whose instruction the demonetisation of high-value notes had been implemented. I had reacted within half-an-hour after the ban of high-value notes came into force. Hundreds of people died and we want to know whose interest had been taken into consideration."
She also added that the demonetisation had badly affected India's economy and the country's GDP. "The Prime Minister had even said that the demonetisation would stop the flow of money to the terrorists. All rubbish," she maintained.
Rendering support to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the government over the Rafale deal, the TMC supremo said: "I completely agree with what Rahul Gandhi is saying about Rafale scam. They (BJP) are threatening journalists like N Ram for speaking out the truth."
She also accused the BJP of pressurising the Election Commission to toe its line because of which the polling schedule was inordinately stretched to enable the Prime Minister to launch an extensive campaign across the country.
She further added: "Tamil Nadu has 39 seats and the election will be held there in a single day. It is the same in Kerala as well which has 20 seats. In Bengal, there will be elections in seven phases and we all know what will be the weather in the middle of May."
She urged the Election Commission to ensure that no money was carried by air or road which would be distributed among the people.
"Democracy is of the people, for the people and by the people and never of the money, for the money and by the money. I am in favour of Electoral Reforms and our MPs have played a major role in voicing this demand."