Duhazaar unish, BJP finish (Come 2019, there will be no BJP).” That is going to be the Trinamool Congress’ slogan in the run-up to the 2019 general elections for which preparations will begin on November 16 when Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address a meeting of party functionaries including elected representatives down to the block level, TMC general secretary Partho Chatterjee on Friday said.
November 16 meeting will in fact focus on the grand rally scheduled to be held at the Brigade Parade Ground on January 19. The Brigade rally has been called by Mamata where all the Opposition outfits barring the BJP will be invited.
Among the invitees would be Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, BSP supremo Mayawati, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD president Lalu Prasad. “Even the CPI(M) leadership including Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan will be invited in the rally,” the Chief Minister was quoted as saying.
But before the grand rally which will apparently be organized as a show of strength to counter BJP’s rising stature in Bengal the TMC will hold a preparatory meeting on November 16 where “all MPs, MLAs, councilors, panchayat samiti heads, district and block presidents have been asked to come,” Chatterjee said adding the meeting will be held to prepare the workers so that they can start preparations from now.
“Mamata Banerjee has already said that ‘duihazaar unish, BJP finish’.
This means we will have to work towards ousting the BJP not only from Bengal but the entire country,” Chatterjee said. The November 16 meeting will be held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Though the rally is good three months away parties like the RJD have already confirmed their attendance, sources said adding Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been in constant touch with Banerjee.
According TMC sources the Bengal Chief Minister could also attend the Telugu Desam Party sponsored grand rally sometime in December: this apparently in order to ensure a return visit by the TDP president.
“Though all opposition parties have no doubt that they will have to come together in 2019 to ensure the ouster of the BJP some regional issues still keep them separated. Our leader Mamata Banerjee can play an important role in bringing these parties together or ensuring a compromise region-based compromise formula so that the opposition vote is not divided,” said a senior Trinamool leader and a Minister.
Banerjee had earlier put forward the Bengal formula to ensure “one-against-one candidate.”
The TMC had “tried this formula in 2009 and 2011 and ensured a landslide win against the mighty Left Front. If we could defeat the Left there is no reason why we cannot defeat the BJP,” said the Minister adding the January 2019 Brigade rally will be a grand success.