The Trinamool Congress’ rally here looked more as a rally where people gathered to get a glimpse of a superstar than the candidates in poll ring on party’s tickets and the supremo Mamata Banerjee. People braving sun and dusty wind in two and a half hour long wait to see Mithun Chakravarty were up on feet to cheer the star of seventies who accompanied Mamata to the dais.
Chakravarty who is also a Rajya Sabha MP was the first to interact with excited mob that overstepped bamboo barriers to get a glimpse of the star. He urged people to vote for the party’s candidate from Ranchi and lohardaga to get their voices heard at the Centre and concluded with his distinctive “grand salute” to the crowd.
However, the lok Sabha election in Jharkhand looks more like a barometer for the Trinamool to assess people’s sentiments about the State Government before taking any decision on pulling the government down rather than improving strength in the lower House. With the candid admission by Mamata success of Trinamool in parliamentary elections in Jharkhand could spell doom for the Hemant Soren-led coalition Government.
Mithun steals show at Mamata rally “We would have thrown the State government out if we had wished to do so. But we did not do this because we want to know people’s opinion before (withdrawing support). We will come back after four months in the Assembly election and will form the next government (in the State),” maintained Mamata.
The rally bore the characteristics of rallies called for Assembly elections as the Trinamool chief during her speech went tangent to national issues while attempting to corner the State government for alleged failures vis-à-vis the West Bengal model of “unnayan” (development).
Mamata’s speech was all about unemployment, infrastructure development, minority’s welfare and development of Adivasis under the regime of TMC in West Bengal.The TMC supremo who is also the Chief Minister of West Bengal was selling West Bengal’s “unnayan” (development) story to the people of Jharkhand at the rally and promised them of a better future with the nature of resources in State if the TMC voted in power in the next Assembly election.
“So many governments came in and went out of power. What they didIJ They only cheated people. We have to remove them,” said Mamata.
Interestingly, the TMC which is trying hard to gain space at national level was short of national issues, which was evident in the speech delivered by Mamata in unique style of delivery. The speech in Hindi with Bangla phrases in between was laced up with anti-Congress, BJP rants besides mocking the development model propounded by BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi. The leader of the West Bengal countered Gujarat model by comparing performance on few indicators.
“You have given opportunity to BJP and Congress I urge you to give us one chance,” said Mamata adding “What Gujrat model they are showingIJ”