Mamata Banerjee Asserts TMC's Dominance in West Bengal

Kolkata: Sending a message to the Congress, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is a key partner in the Opposition parties’ INDIA bloc, asserted on Thursday that only her party can “teach a lesson” to the BJP in West Bengal in the next year's Lok Sabha election.

The chief minister said at a party rally in North 24 Parganas: “The INDIA partnership will prevail across the country. In Bengal, the TMC will fight it out. Keep in mind only the TMC can teach a lesson to the BJP in Bengal and show the country the way. No other party can do it.”

Taking a swipe at the Opposition in the state, she alleged: “Balu (nickname of state forest minister Jyotipriyo Mullick, now in jail custody in the ration scam) was arrested so that he can't run our party activities. The CPI(M), Congress and BJP made it their advantage.”

Ms Banerjee added: “They are hitting the streets daily together, calling others ‘Chor, Chor’.” Her comments amid a seat-sharing calculation within the anti-BJP bloc reflect her unwillingness to adjust with the Congress in any of the 42 seats from the state.

The TMC chief, who often calls for political parties to contest the polls in their domains, dropped a hint of her stand after the state Congress shared with the high command the names of at least five seats for adjustment with her party, which got 22 seats in 2019 and two more later.

The Congress list includes Berhampore and Malda South, the two seats it has at present. The rest are Darjeeling, Raiganj and Purulia. The Congress once had strongholds in Raiganj and Purulia and hopes to revive it there. For Darjeeling, the party has roped in Binay Tamang, a hill-based Gorkha leader who was earlier in the TMC and GJM.

Ms Banerjee also trained her guns on Union home minister Amit Shah for playing the CAA card again before the polls.