BJP will not get more than 200 seats in Lok Sabha polls, says Mamata

Kolkata: Addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that the BJP will not be able to win even 200 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

While addressing a huge gathering, Banerjee alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantees are “false”.

“What the Modi government at the Centre said is all but electoral jumla,” she said.

The Trinamool Congress chief also accused the saffron party of destroying the country’s Constitution that had been drafted by the drafting committee chairman B R Ambedkar.

“The BJP will not even win 200 seats. What have they done for North Bengal? Do not fall prey to PM Modi’s ‘guarantees’. These are false. Have they given Rs 15 lakh to people’s accounts? When you see BJP, say to them ‘Ghar Ghar Mein Shor Hai, BJP Chor Hain.’ (A slogan going on that BJP is a thief),” Banerjee said.

She also asked why PM Modi did not meet the storm-affected victims in North Bengal. She also dared Modi to publish 100-day work reports of Gujarat.

“You (BJP) have destroyed the country’s Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Banerjee said.

Incidentally, the BJP-led NDA government is aiming to cross the 400 Lok Sabha seat mark in the upcoming elections.

Banerjee reiterated that there are attempts to blow the recent development at Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas district out of proportion.

“There was not a single murder committed in Sandeshkhali. Everything is normal there. We have returned everything which was taken away,” Banerjee said.

Banerjee said that there is an unnecessary attempt to malign the image of Bengal by labelling the state “unsafe” following the arrest of two accused in the Bangalore cafe blast case.

“An incident took place in Bangalore. The accused were based in Karnataka. They were in East Midnapore for just two hours. Bengal Police tracked them. Now they are saying that West Bengal is unsafe and are maligning Bengal’s image as well,” she added.

Banerjee also attacked the BJP government at the Centre over the seven-phase elections. She told the gathering: “Have you heard about an election that lasts for three months? Lok Sabha elections will be conducted in three months and then Assembly elections will be conducted in three months. There are panchayats and municipal elections as well. Elections will be going on for almost a year. How will the development take place?” She further stated: “Have those who are doing such planning ever thought that when works will be done.”

She also said that she will go to Assam on April 17 to campaign for 4 of her party candidates who are contesting there and then she will return to North Bengal on April 18.

She will hold rallies in North and South Dinajpur and also in Malda.

Attacking Modi and Home minister Amit Shah, Banerjee said: “PM is saying that he will put everyone in jail after the election. Home minister Shah said that he would hang people upside down. I tell them that such things do not happen in Bengal. It can happen in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Bengal does not believe in revenge politics.”

Referring to the poor results of Trinamool Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in North Bengal and Jangalmahal areas, Banerjee said: “What mistake Trinamool Congress committed that they did not get seats in North Bengal and Jangalmahal. Please do not cast your votes in favour of BJP because it is Trinamool Congress that works for the people.”

Regarding the INDIA bloc, Banerjee said that although Trinamool Congress is contesting independently in Bengal, she will help the INDIA bloc to form government at the Centre.

“The national scenario is different. But in Bengal Congress and CPI(M) are equal opponents to us like BJP,” she added.