West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee addresses a press conference amid counting of votes for Lok Sabha elections, in Kolkata, Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
PTI Photo
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress will try to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah out of the next government at the Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday.
She said that Modi should accept "moral defeat and resign" as he could not lead the BJP to the “400-paar” target he had set for himself and the party. The Trinamool Congress supremo also said that she would not be able to travel to New Delhi to attend the meeting of the I.N.D.I.A. leaders on Wednesday, and that party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee would take attend in her place.
The TMC supremo and her heir apparent, along with other leaders of the party, addressed a brief news conference in Kolkata in the evening after the party won 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal, dashing the BJP’s hope to raise its tally from the state.
Mamata, however, subtly gave vent to her sulks, saying that she and her party had not been informed about or invited to Wednesday's meeting of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance leaders.
“I have texted Rahul (Gandhi). Perhaps they were busy. They haven’t contacted us yet, but it doesn't matter whether they do or don’t,” she said.
“He (Modi) has lost all credibility. He should immediately resign,” Mamata said, adding: “India has won, Modi has lost. He broke many parties, and now people have broken his morale. He is now falling at the feet of TDP (Telugu Desam Party) and (Janata Dal-United chief) Nitish (Kumar) to form the government”.
Mamata had neither attended nor sent any representative to the last meeting of the I.N.D.I.A. leaders convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi on June 1.
The Bengal CM had played a key role in bringing several opposition parties together during the run-up to the parliamentary polls, attended its meetings, and even given the bloc its name. But she refused to spare more than two of the 42 Lok Sabha seats for the Congress in West Bengal. The TMC decided to go solo in all the constituencies in the state when its offer was rejected by the Congress. The CPI(M), another I.N.D.I.A. partner, however, entered into an electoral understanding with the Congress in West Bengal.
The TMC, over the past few weeks, often accused the leaders of the Congress and the CPI(M) of colluding with the BJP to beat it in the state. She, however, also insisted that her party remained a part of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance at the national level.
Mamata reiterated her allegation on Tuesday, accusing the BJP of funding the campaigns of the Congress’ candidates in West Bengal. She, however, quickly added that the central leaders of the Congress had not been involved, neither had any knowledge of this.
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