Kolkata, June 8 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday predicted the fall of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and the INDIA block taking over the reins of power, saying the people and the country need change of guard at the Centre.
Addressing the media after being reelected All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson at a meeting of the newly elected MPs, Banerjee also demanded the withdrawal of NRC, CAA and UCC across the country.
“We are keeping a watch on the situation (in Delhi). Let’s see how long this NDA government lasts. Today INDIA bloc may not have staked claim to form the government, but that doesn’t mean it won’t tomorrow,” the TMC supremo said during the address at her Kalighat residence here. The party’s district presidents were also present.
Banerjee said the mandate was against the BJP and Narendra Modi should not become PM anymore.
“The country needs change, we are keeping a watch on the situation. Let’s see how long this NDA government lasts,” she said.
Banerjee dubbed the Exit Polls done by the different television channels recently as a “big scam” and demanded a probe.
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She said the TMC is now the third largest party in Parliament with a total 42 MPs, 29 of them Lok Sabha members.
Ridiculing the BJP for its claim of getting over 400 seats in the general elections, she said it even failed to secure a simple majority.
The Chief Minister also blamed the Election Cmmission of India (ECI) and the poll observers for their “partisan policy in favour of the BJP” and claimed the saffron party won the Tamluk and Kanthi seats through “rigging”.
She also claimed that there were some more seats in the state where the election was “rigged” to ensure the BJP’s victory.
“Modi intended to get a two-thirds majority. However, the BJP didn’t even cross the majority mark. They are nowhere near that number (272 seats). How will they amend the Constitution without a two-thirds majority? Last time, they had passed bills without discussions but won’t be able to do it this time,” Banerjee claimed.
Earlier Banerjee was reelected as All India Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson at the meeting. The party elected Sudip Bandyopadhyay, MP from Kolkata North, as the leader in the Lok Sabha, with Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as the deputy leader. Kalyan Banerjee has been appointed the Chief Whip in the lower house of Parliament.
Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien has been elected as the leader of the party in the Upper House, while Sagarika Ghose will be the deputy leader. Nadimul Haque has been named the Chief Whip.
Banerjee congratulated the victorious candidates, especially the new ones such as Yusuf Pathan, Rachana Banerjee, Mitali Bag, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia.
She dedicated the party’s win to the martyrs of July 21, 1993, when 13 people were shot dead by the West Bengal police during a rally brought out by the state Youth Congress under its then leader Mamata Bnerjee.
She also thanked the people of West Bengal for giving overwhelming support to “Ma Mati Manus” – her pet slogan – in the 2024 poll.
The TMC won 29 seats, the BJP was reduced to 12 and the Congress got only 1.
