Will support Cong in states where it is strong, they need to reciprocate: Mamata

Kolkata: The electoral strategy for the 2024 Parliamentary polls of the Opposition to oust the BJP from the Centre has gathered steam after the saffron brigade lost ground in southern India after losing the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Congress’ Karnataka win has led many Opposition parties to rethink their roadmap leading to the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Monday made it clear that her party, in its effort to oust an “autocratic government” and for the larger interest of the people of India, is looking towards a workable solution for all the Opposition parties to iron out their differences and was willing to support the Congress in this “scheme of things”.

However, she blamed the ‘grand old party’ for “scheming against TMC” in Bengal and stated that she expects Congress to reciprocate.

“The Congress too needs to support the stronger regional parties in other states to oust the BJP from power,” she mentioned.

“In states where Congress is strong, we will support them. There is nothing wrong with that. But they have to support other political parties which are strong in the respective states. I extended my support to them in Karnataka and they are fighting with me here, this should not be the policy. This formula applies to all political parties. If you want to get good things done, then you also have to sacrifice in some areas,” Banerjee said, clarifying her stand on Congress.

She further stated: “The stronger parties in the respective states should be given priority which will ensure a level playing ground in the Opposition’s fight to save the country, to save democracy and to save people.”

She maintained that the election results, including the latest one in Karnataka, revealed that wherever the regional parties are strong, BJP has suffered a defeat.

“The people are demoralised and frustrated, the incumbency factor has also crept in. Hence, the Karnataka verdict has gone against the BJP. People are antagonised, the economy has been ruined, democratic rights are being bulldozed, and even wrestlers are not being spared. So, whichever political party is strong in a particular state it will fight and the other Opposition parties should extend their support,” Banerjee said.

She described BJP’s election defeat in Karnataka as the “beginning of the end” of the saffron party before 2024 and claimed that they will not cross the 100-mark in the 2024 Parliamentary polls.

“The people have voted against BJP’s arrogance, pride, paramount atrocity and politics of unleashing Central agencies on the Opposition. Our call of no vote to BJP has gone well with the voters and they have proved that BJP needs to be ousted from power to save the country,” Banerjee told the media.

She said that she will be attending the meeting of the Niti Aayog in Delhi on May 27.

“I will be raising the issues in connection with the deprivation of Central funds for various projects. The name of West Bengal is last on the list when it comes to speaking at the meeting. I am allowed to speak only after sunset but I will surely claim the dues for the state,” she added.

Reacting to the Kaliaganj incident, she said often children are carried in the lap of their parents. The family too sometimes do not use an ambulance for carrying the body of a child and it happens as per the wish of the family.

“There is no dearth of ambulances. From the state government and the MP-LAD fund, I have made arrangements for 400 to 500 ambulances. If there is any crisis of ambulances, it may be local. But I will surely ask the department to look into the matter. It may be the case that there was no ambulance at that particular time,” she added.