Opp plans Feb end meet to synergise attack on Modi

| | New Delhi
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Opp plans Feb end meet to synergise attack on Modi

Friday, 15 February 2019 | PNS | New Delhi

Opp plans Feb end meet to synergise attack on Modi

Kejriwal wants ties, it’s up to Congress to reciprocate: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Opposition parties will meet in the national Capital during the last week of this month to finalise how to collectively take on the Modi Government in the Lok Sabha polls.

She said one round of meeting with top Opposition leaders, including Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, TDP’s N Chandrababu Naidu and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

among others, has already taken place while next crucial round is scheduled for February 26-27.

Batting for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), she said Kejriwal is keen on an alliance with the Congress in Delhi for the upcoming parliamentary polls and it is for Congress to reciprocate.

“Kejriwal wants an alliance with the Congress in Delhi,” said Mamata, adding that the AAP supremo had struggled hard to become the Chief Minister of Delhi and that he is continuing to struggle.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal said the Congress had “more or less” declined to have an alliance in Delhi for the general election. He also said the BJP would benefit in a three-cornered poll contest in the national Capital.

Also, Mamata said it is wrong to ask her about being the PM face of the alliance and said that all the leaders of Opposition parties were qualified to lead the country.

The Trinamool supremo, who is head-on with BJP in West Bengal, said the media should not mix the kind of alliance in States and at Centre. While political parties may have difference of opinion locally, but they are determined to demolish the Modi juggernaut.

“They (NDA) Government is a misfit in this country and don’t deserve to be in power. They will vanish soon as they have crossed the expiry date which is hazardous in medical parlance,” Mamata said at a Press meet in Press Club of India.  

Amidst speculations that the CPI (M) and the Congress were heading for a tactical tie-up in the State, Mamata said she has not spoken to the Left parties about an alliance in Bengal. “I do not know whether the Left will come with us or not. We didn’t talk,” she said. Mamata said she is used to fighting united Congress and Left in Bengal. 

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has maintained that their alliances will depend on equations at the State level and has virtually ruled out being part of any “mahagathbandhan”. At the AAP rally on Wednesday, the Left leaders had vacated the stage upon Mamata’s arrival indicating that they were not keen on any strategic alliance in Bengal with the TMC which has been its traditional rivals in the state.

Mamata said she respected the decisions of those political parties which have not gone for pre-poll alliances. “There are political compulsions in States. At the national level we must go for pre- poll alliances so that after elections we can claim to form the Government.

“However, the parties which cannot take decisions on pre-poll alliances, it’s okay, I respect that they have political compulsions,” she said.

Reacting to a query on the Bengal Government denying BJP leaders to hold rallies in the State, Mamata said they were “liars”.  “They are lying about us not allowing them to carry on rallies. He (Amit Shah) had swine flu, discharged himself from hospital and still had a rally. They are liars,” she said. 

Speaking on the BJP’s chances in Bengal, the TMC chief said now the saffron party has two seats, in 2019, the seats will be “zero”.  “The BJP won’t get even one seat in Bengal...they will get zero. Let both (Modi and Shah) contest elections in Bengal, they will lose,” she said.

 

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