TMC will contest in neighbouring states, says Mamata Banerjee

Jamuria: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called for bringing a change in the government at the Centre in the Lok Sabha polls and alleged that the BJP dispensation has caused hardships to the people of the country.

Ms Banerjee said her party will contest elections in states neighbouring West Bengal such as Jharkhand and Assam to protect the people from alleged attacks by the BJP.

The TMC supremo, who is organising a mega rally of Opposition parties at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on January 19, urged the people to change the government in Delhi in the general elections.

“We gave the slogan for defeating the BJP in the Lok Sabha poll. You should also raise the slogan ‘badal do’ (change it)”, Ms Banerjee said.

She claimed that the Modi government has failed to solve the unemployment problem and the common people are not getting loan from banks.

“The people are fed up with the Modi governm-ent. They are saying en-ough is enough”, she said.

Ms Banerjee had stated on Wednesday that the TMC will play an “important” role in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Several Opposition parties have confirmed their participation in the mega rally in Kolkata, she had said.

“Leaders such as Chan-drababu Naidu, Hardik Patel, Tejaswi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav,  Farooq Abdullah and Arvind Kejriwal have confirmed their participation at the rally,” the CM had said.

Accusing the saffron party of attempting to divide the nation on religious line, Banerjee urged the people not to fall prey to any provocation.

“Our party (TMC) will contest elections in the neighbouring states to pr-otect people from saffron attacks,” Ms Banerjee said while addressing a public meeting here in the state’s coal belt in West Burdwan district.

She claimed that the BJP was bringing paid goons from neighbouring Jharkhand to foment trouble in West Bengal districts, and Bengalis and Biharis are being driven away from Assam where the BJP is in power.

“We will contest Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Jharkhand in the future. We will also contest in Assam and Odisha,” Ms Banerjee said in the meeting.

Referring to the BJP’s alleged attack on the adivasis in Jharkhand, she claimed that the tribal land was being grabbed there. “We sent our team there to fight for their cause. The fight will continue,” Ms Banerjee said.

“Bengalis and Biharis are also being driven away from Assam. We want good relations with our neighbouring states. We have decided to contest polls there. If an adivasi is persecuted there, we will fight for them,” she said.