West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has stated
her party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is her “main enemy” and announced that her
party will participate in Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, and other states in
2024, to dismantle the saffron-colored party.
The West Bengal Chief Minister warned her party members not to engage in fights since it
could weaken the party and strengthen their main rival, the BJP.
At speaking at the Netaji Indoor Stadium after the election of the party’s organizational
polls, where she was elected without opposition as chairman of the party, Banerjee said,
“Remember, the party is one and hence all of you should work together to make it even
more vital in West Bengal.
If you do that, I will be able to concentrate outside Bengal. Remember, if we are serious
about ousting the BJP-ruled Union government in the next Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool
will have to win from all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.”
“I request all of you to take care of the party organization with all sincerity. If you can do
that, I will be able to concentrate more on my work outside the state and spread the
network of Trinamool Congress throughout the country,” she asked the TMC members.
Samajwadi Party is seeking to expand its reach beyond the state. The Chief Minister stated,
“We will not field any candidate in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections as an
‘expression of solidarity towards Samajwadi Party and its chief Akhilesh Yadav. Trinamool
will, however, contest from Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
She also requested the rebellious and resentful BJP officials within West Bengal to join the
Trinamool.
“I am being told that around eight BJP legislators in West Bengal are willing to join the
Trinamool. They are most welcome if they want to join us to be part of our development
activities. But we will not force anyone to join us,” Banerjee declared.
In a jab at Congress, Chief Minister stated, “In Meghalaya, they vote in favor of the BJP,
and they do the same in Chandigarh. I wanted all anti-BJP forces to get united. But if
someone refuses to come forward, we will have to continue with our struggle alone.”
