Thursday, Apr 18, 2024 | Last Update : 04:16 PM IST
Mamata Banerjee as PM nominee is nothing new: TMC
The West Bengal chief minister has been trying to stitch together a federal front of regional parties to take on the BJP in the next general election.
New Delhi: A day after Congress indicated that it was open to leaders from other parties be the Prime Ministerial candidate to take on the BJP in 2019, the Trinamul Congress on Wednesday said 2018-19 is the year of “think federal” and asserted that Mamata Banerjee was one of the “most senior leaders in this matrix”.
Trinamul Congress national spokesperson Derek O’Brien told the media that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee emerging as one of the front runners for the Prime Minister’s post “is nothing new”.
Highly-placed Congress sources had on Tuesday indicated that the Party was ready to support any candidate, even Ms Banerjee or BSP chief Mayawati, as the Prime Ministerial candidate if the BJP-RSS could be stopped. “This 2018-2019. This is the year of “think federal”. But these things would be decided later. The reality is that everyone is focused on electing a people-centric government and removing the BJP. So, one of the most senior leader in this matrix is Mamata Banerjee,” Mr O’Brien said.
He continued that Ms Banerjee was not only “accepted” by the people of West Bengal but also the entire country for her 40 years of political struggle, including as Member of Parliament and the chief minister of the state. The TMC Rajya Sabha MP said the focus of a “united Opposition” was on spreading the message that the BJP had failed its people and would bring its tally to between 100 and 150 seats.
The West Bengal chief minister has been trying to stitch together a federal front of regional parties to take on the BJP in the next general election. But many in the Opposition have remained sceptical about her efforts.
Ms Banerjee is slated to visit Delhi for three days next week beginning July 31 to personally invite Opposition leaders to the “federal front” rally she plans to hold in January in Kolkata, according to party sources.
During her previous visits to Delhi, she met the leaders of regional and opposition parties as part of her efforts to cobble up support for the “federal front”.
