Krishnanagar, March 31: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ridiculed BJP’s target to win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha election and put a challenge before the saffron party to show its capability to win at least 200 seats. At the same time she urged people to re-elect her party nominee Mahua Moitra as a mark of protest against her expulsion from the Lok Sabha over the alleged ‘cash for query’ case.
Speaking at a public meeting in Nadia’s Dhubulia on Sunday, Mamata said, “BJP claiming to cross the 400 mark. But I challenge the party to cross the 200 seat mark first. If it is so, then why are ED, CBI, and Income Tax being used (against opposition)? Why are state officers being transferred? Mark my words; they will face a humiliating defeat in Bengal. It is the people who will defeat them…”
“In 2021 assembly poll in Bengal, they aimed for 200 seats but end up at 77 only. Some of these 77 persons have later joined us”, Mamata said while kicking off her campaign for the Lok Sabha poll.
The meeting was organised in support of party nominee for Krishnanagar seat Mahua Moitra at the Sukanta Sporting Club ground in Dhubulia, located at the outskirt of Krishnanagar town. “Last time you voted for Mahua. Nevertheless, she was thrown out of the Lok Sabha” Mamata alleged claiming how she was maligned and expelled only because she raised her voice against the BJP and Prime Minister.
Party insiders in Nadia claimed that the Krishnanagar seat has gathered importance because of the “illegal” expulsion of the party’s most vocal MP Mahua Moitra. Further, BJP’s continued efforts to keep the focus on the seat in its long-drawn endeavor coupled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the town put the ruling party in a challenging situation.
However, at the same time, organizational drawbacks of the party, mostly due to internal bickering in the district leadership, have become the major barrier on the way to retaining the seat. To add concern a section of the party has almost become idle for alleged rough approach and highhandedness of Mahua Moitra.
In such a situation, Mamata in a significant strategy decided to kick off her campaign from Krishnanagar seat to project her fight against Narendra Modi. “Launching poll campaigning from Krishnanagar is a well calculated move”, a party insider said.
The meeting was her first major political programme since she suffered injuries on her head and nose on March 14 at her home. The party has been largely depending on the sizeable minority vote’s bank particularly in at least three assembly segments – Chapra, Kaliganj, Palashipara and Nakashipara, which can play the key role to help the ruling party to retain the seat. The presence of Muslims among the crowd in the meeting on Sunday made Mamata happy.
Speaking at the rally she ruled out any alliance with Congress and CPM in Bengal, despite being INDIA partners. She said, In Bengal CPM,
Congress and BJP are fighting against us. If anyone votes for CPM, or Congress, it would be voting for BJP in real term”. Without naming the ISF, she said “There is another party that is aiming for Muslim votes, but a vote to them is also a vote to BJP”.
Reiterating her opposition against the Citizenship Act, she said that her government will never allow its implementation in the state. “If people accept the CAA, they will fell prayer to NRC. Why the BJP MPs nominated for Lok Sabha elections, applying for the CAA. This is only because they would be declared as foreigners once the application is submitted”, she alleged. “I am reiterating this again – We will not allow CAA or NRC. We will not allow the creation of new refugees”, she said.
Assuring the Matua community, she urged to have faith on her. “The Matuas should keep faith in me as I will never allow anyone to rob their citizenship. Everybody is a citizen. People should not fall for the fake words of the Centre. Submitting documents will mean that the people shall be termed foreigners for 5 years”.