Mamata Banerjee contested the Goa elections to please the BJP, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said in a fresh attack on its rival. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress have been at loggerheads for a while now, with the war between the two escalating further when the TMC declared its Goa bid.
“As of today, the Congress has 700 MLAs across India. Congress won a 20 per cent vote share of the opposition. Mamata Banerjee is trying to please the BJP, to be its “dalal (agent)”. That is why she is saying many things today”: Chowdhury said in a sharp attack today. He was at a dharna to protest against the killing of Bengal student leader Anish Khan.
On Friday, after the counting of results in five states, Mamata Banerjee said, “There was loot and malpractice of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). SP chief Akhilesh Yadav should not be disheartened and should ensure the EVMs are put through forensic tests.”
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Not one to hold back, Chowdhury responded, “She has no relevance in national politics. Hence, she is sometimes blaming the EVM and sometimes the Congress. Why are you blaming the Congress? Become the prime minister on your own.”
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This was the Trinamool’s poll debut in Goa. However, the party failed to make a mark in the coastal state with no seats in its bag.
“You went to Goa to make the BJP happy. Mogambo khush ho gaya! You defeated the Congress there to increase your ratings with the BJP. Everyone knows Mamata Banerjee broke the Congress in Goa,” Adhir Chowdhury said, questioning the party’s performance. “In these five states, how many seats did TMC get?”
“Congress has been failing to prove itself since 2014. Congress was defeated badly in Punjab and in Bihar earlier. How is it possible that the TMC helped the BJP beat Congress? Last time in Goa, Congress MLAs defected to the BJP. They failed to save their own. We got a six per cent vote share in Goa. 2024 is far now. Our policy for the Lok Sabha election is that all anti-BJP, democratic and progressive parties should come together. Let’s talk,” Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, rebutting Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remarks.
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