In a calculated move to grab hold of the Opposition space in Goa — presently occupied by the Congress — Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday launched an attack on the Congress for its “indecisiveness,” towards the BJP and said Janpath’s tentativeness against the saffron outfit would further strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Employing a narrative tactfully built up all these years by the BJP in an alleged bid to trivialise Rahul Gandhi, the TMC supremo asked “why should the country suffer if one cannot make a decision,” alleging how the Congress leadership (read Rahul) “did not take
politics seriously”.
“Modi is going to be more powerful because of the Congress’ (indecision). They got an opportunity in the past (but) instead of fighting against the BJP, they contested against me in my State,” she said.
When asked as to why she was attacking the Congress (instead of the BJP) she said, “They fought against us in Bengal a few months ago and if they attack me there, should they expect sweets from me here.”
Blaming the Congress for BJP’s increasing strength, Mamata said, “The Congress and the BJP complement each other which is why they (saffron party) are becoming more and more powerful.”
Claming that she didn’t want votes in Goa to be divided, she said, “Let all the parties unite to fight against the BJP … let the regional parties come together … I want the regional parties to be strong, and we want that the federal structure of India to be strong. We should make the states strong. If states are strong, only then shall the Centre be strong.”
Mamata was apparently echoing her election strategist Prashant Kishor who earlier said, “The BJP is going to be the centre of Indian politics, whether they win, whether they lose - like it was for the first 40 years for Congress. The BJP is going nowhere. Once you secure 30 per cent of the vote at the India-level, you are not going away in a hurry.”
Reacting forcefully to Mamata’s comments in Goa, Congress Lok Sabha Leader Adhir Chowdhury said instead of attacking the Congress she should take a look at her own “dubious record”.
“It is the same Mamata who broke the Congress to make a Trinamool Congress … this means she was after weakening the Congress from the very beginning,” he said.
Alleging that she was in constant touch with the BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the Bengal Congress leader said, “Instead of attacking us she should explain why
she is in close contact with the BJP and RSS leaders … she should also explain as why her tone against Congress hardened after the Enforcement Directorate questioned her nephew Abhishek Banerjee in
Delhi… is it because there is some deal between the two sides to weaken the Congress which in any case she had been doing for the past several years.”
