Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is her "main enemy" and announced that her party will contest Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and other states in 2024 with an aim to oust the saffron party.
The West Bengal Chief Minister also cautioned her party workers not to indulge in infighting as it will weaken the party and strengthen their main enemy – BJP.
Speaking at the Netaji Indoor Stadium after the party`s organisational polls in which she was elected unopposed as the chairperson of the party, Banerjee said, "Remember, the party is one and hence all of you should work together to make it even stronger in West Bengal. If you do that, I will be able to concentrate outside Bengal. Remember, if we are really serious about ousting the BJP-ruled Union government in the next Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool will have to win from all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.”
"I request all of you to take care of the party organisation with all sincerity. If you can do that, I will be able to concentrate more on my work outside the state and spread the network of Trinamool Congress throughout the country," she appealed to the TMC workers.
Making it clear that the party is seriously trying to make inroads outside the state, the Chief Minister said, "We will not field any candidate in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections as an ‘expression of solidarity’ towards Samajwadi Party and its chief Akhilesh Yadav. Trinamool will, however, contest from Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections."
She also asked the disgruntled and rebel BJP leaders in West Bengal to join the Trinamool.
"I am being told that around eight BJP legislators in West Bengal are willing to join the Trinamool. If they want to join us to be part of our development activities, they are most welcome. But we will not force anyone to join us," Banerjee said.
Taking a dig at Congress, the Chief Minister said, "In Meghalaya, they vote in favour of the BJP and they do the same in Chandigarh. I wanted all anti-BJP forces to get united. But if someone refuses to come forward, we will have to continue with our struggle alone."
