West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a recent address to the Assembly, attributed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) success in three heartland states to the Congress while emphasizing the necessity of unity within the INDIA alliance for a BJP defeat in the upcoming general elections. Banerjee dismissed the notion that the assembly election results would impact the national polls, maintaining that a collaborative INDIA bloc, with effective seat-sharing, could prevent a BJP return to power.
Banerjee highlighted the vote share distribution, pointing out that a united INDIA alliance could have avoided the BJP’s victory. She expressed disappointment in the Congress’s failure to expedite seat-sharing discussions, leading to electoral setbacks. The chief minister stressed the importance of learning from mistakes, acknowledging that timely seat-sharing could rectify the alliance’s challenges.
She criticized the recent assembly elections, questioning their credibility and accusing the BJP of misusing central agencies to manipulate political outcomes. Banerjee condemned what she termed “agency pollution” and emphasized the tainted nature of the electoral process. Despite the BJP’s triumph in the heartland states, she downplayed its significance for West Bengal, asserting that regional dynamics differed.
Responding to the BJP’s claims of winning a substantial number of Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in the upcoming elections, Banerjee expressed confidence in her government’s strength. She dismissed allegations of corruption and asserted that she was well-aware of potential scams. Additionally, she mocked the BJP’s threats, characterizing them as a “dhnyarosh (useless) movement.”
Trinamul National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee echoed Mamata’s sentiments, recalling the BJP’s earlier dismissal of the impact of state election results on national polls. He emphasized the need for constructive collaboration within the INDIA alliance, urging timely lessons from the assembly polls to strengthen the opposition’s position in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.