West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other opposition leaders in New Delhi today. (Source: Express photo by Renuka Puri)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the BJP government at the Centre and said there’s a huge difference between NDA of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now. Mamata, who was in New Delhi to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other opposition leaders, said, “There is a huge difference between NDA of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now. I was a part of that government, even now there are some good people but they are sidelined.”
The chief minister also said “there’s no party in the country that’s more communal than the BJP”, even as she took on saffron party for announcing the Karnataka poll dates before the Election Commission’s official announcement. “All institutions are being destroyed, how can a political party announce election dates before any announcement by the election commission?” she asked. Elaborating further on Karnataka polls, Banerjee said she wants the Congress to make alliance with JD(S)-led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. “I want the Congress to go with Deve Gowda in Karnataka but that’s party’s decision.” Follow Mamata Banerjee in Delhi LIVE UPDATES
Expressing her anger at the government for not taking up the no-confidence motion in the Parliament, Mamata claimed BJP is scared their MPs won’t vote. “Politics is not a business or commercial venture it’s a social obligation. A political party that has an office worth thousands of crores its a disgrace. This government is in the process of winding up. Which government doesn’t take up a no confidence motion otherwise. The BJP is scared that many of their own MPs will not vote,” she said.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with NCP Chief Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Source: Express photo by Anil Sharma)
After meeting leaders from NCP, Shiv Sena and RJD, Banerjee said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will certainly be very interesting. “In UP, if Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati stay together nothing can beat them. Let them together call a meeting in Lucknow and we will all go,” she said.
On the recent controversy relating to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra’s impeachment proposal, Mamata said while she cannot ignore what the four Supreme Court judges have alleged, she will wait for other parties to decide.”I cannot ignore what four Supreme Court judges have said, but let other parties discuss on CJI impeachment. TMC will go with what others decide.”
NCP leader Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Dinesh Trivedil during a meeting at NCPoffice at Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Source: Express photo by Anil Sharma)
Mamata arrived in New Delhi on Monday night and is scheduled to attend a dinner on Tuesday, hosted by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, where discussions regarding forging an anti-BJP front is to happen ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Although she was scheduled to meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi as well, she later said Gandhi was unwell. She had skipped the dinner that was hosted by the UPA chief earlier this month.
Mamata is also likely to meet BJP’s Shatrughan Sinha and Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday.