West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conducts a padyatra for the upcoming Tripura Assembly elections in Agartala on February 7, 2023. Photo Credit: ANI
Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee compared the Congress to the BJP and said that her party was the only alternative to the BJP. He urged the people of the poll-bound Tripura to break the myth of double engine government and vote only for his party to introduce the ‘Bengal model’ of governance in the state.
“The Congress and the CPI(M) have failed, only the Trinamool Congress is fighting against the BJP,” he said at an election rally here on Tuesday. Ms Banerjee also led a ‘padayatra’ (foot march) in the state capital which saw an impressive turnout.
Speaking at the rally, he highlighted his government’s welfare schemes, some of which have been lauded by UN offices. He assured that Tripura would get the same set of programmes.
Hitting out at the Left-Congress electoral alliance in Tripura polls, he said this was the political picture of West Bengal for a long time till “we” built the Trinamool Congress and demolished the CPI(M) rule. “I always used to tell people that Congress is the B team of the CPI(M) and now you all are seeing it happening in Tripura,” she said.
Ms Banerjee said the country is facing an unprecedented unemployment problem and added that under the double engine government, unemployment in the country has increased by 40%. He also pointed out how the BJP was allegedly misusing the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate against political opponents.
jora grass flower
The rally was also addressed by Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. He appealed to the people to vote for the party symbol. jora grass flower (two flowers with grass), and requested him not to be picky about the party’s candidates to set up his party’s government in Tripura. This was his seventh visit to the state in a span of two years to expand the organisation.
The Trinamool is contesting on 28 seats in the elections to the 60-member Tripura assembly. The magic number to form the government is 31.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Tuesday addressed two election meetings and took part in a road show in Tripura. He addressed rallies at Kailashahar in North Tripura and Badharghat in Agartala.
In his speech, Mr. Singh said that the CPI(M)-Congress alliance confirms the BJP’s strength and mass base in the state. He described TIPRA (Tipraha Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance) as a confused political entity.