With the exit polls not showing a promising result for the Congress Party in the just-concluded Assembly elections in five States, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again said that it is Bengal (read Trinamool Congress) that would provide a political alternative in Delhi in the days to come.
Addressing a TMC party conference in Kolkata the Chief Minister on Tuesday said, “The BJP is flourishing in Delhi as there is no alternative there as soon as an alternative is given to the people this party will be obliterated … and remember post 2024 it is Bengal that will show the way for which we will have to start working from now… we will have to create an alternative in Delhi the responsibility will be with us to provide an alternative to the people.”
In order to make the Trinamool stronger and more acceptable Banerjee asked her party leaders to commence a “Jan Sanyog Yatra (public relations rally) from May 5 onwards. “The party leaders will travel the districts … down to each village if need be they will sleep on Khatias and win the people’s trust … listen to their problems and solve them this Yatra will continue till July 21 (TMC martyrs’ day) when there will be a big party conference,” Banerjee said adding the public relations exercise would continue throughout the year.
The Chief Minister also attacked the Centre for taking a belated decision on Indian nationals stranded in war-torn Ukraine. “The
Government should have taken a decision six months ago the question is why they failed to take the decision … why for their failure thousands of Indian students will have to suffer can those in power return their peace of mind … can they restore to them what they have lost,” Banerjee said.
During the meeting Banerjee announced a cabinet reshuffle appointing former Urban Development Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya as the Finance Minister with Independent charge and restoring the Urban Development portfolio to Kolkata Mayor and Transport Minister Firhad Hakim.
As the State’s first woman Finance Minister Bhattacharya would replace Dr Amit Mitra who has been indisposed and did not contest the 2021 Assembly elections.
Dr Mitra would however function as the Finance Advisor to the Chief Minister.
Even as experts said that the TMC supremo’s comments were directed at the Congress which was fast losing clout in large parts of the country, Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury promptly hit back wondering why the Chief Minister had called a 19-party alliance in 2019 that finally hit the Congress which was the biggest anti-BJP force then.
“She will have to answer why she spiked the chances of the Congress-led alliance by creating an alternative forum that dividedthe opposition votes in 2021 she will also have to explain herconduct as an NDA ally till 2009,” Chowdhury said reminding the Congress being an all-India party still enjoyed 22 percent votes that was next only to the BJP whereas the TMC had only 4 percent votes.