West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee on Tuesday dared the Centre to impose President’s rule in her State. Such a step would get more votes for her and help win Assembly elections, she claimed.
“Impose President’s rule if you can. I will be relieved of my administrative responsibilities and will give more time for political rallies,” she stated at a public rally at Jalpaiguri.
The Trinamool Congress chairperson’s remarks come at a time when a section of the BJP leadership is demanding Central intervention, raising concerns over the law and order situation and murder of political workers. During the day, a delegation of BJP leadership met officials of the Election Commission of India on the “ issue of deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal and the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls”.
‘BJP trying to split minority votes’
At the public rally, Ms Banerjee said the BJP was trying to divide the minority votes in the State by bringing in a Hyderabad based party. Though the Trinamool Congress chairperson did not name the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) or its leader Asaduddin Owaisi, her remarks were clearly directed at that party. “They [the BJP] are inviting a party from Hyderabad to split Muslim votes. You all have seen what happened in the polls in Bihar”.
Ms Banerjee said that party would try to create a polarisation so that the Hindu votes went to the BJP and the Muslim votes were divided.
The AIMIM leadership had expressed its willingness to contest Assembly polls in West Bengal.
Ms Banerjee asked the people of north Bengal as to what her sin was that her party did not win a single seat from there in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “I haven’t won a single seat in north Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls but I want your support, your blessings in the Assembly polls,” she said.
Referring to the incident involving the attack on BJP president J.P. Nadda’s convoy in Diamond Harbour, she raised questions as to what were “criminals” doing with the convoy of the BJP leader. “People get angry when they see those who have attacked and vanadalised the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar”, she said, adding that she would not allow Bengal to be turned into Gujarat as the BJP had claimed.
