WB-TMC-ABHISHEK

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee

Friday challenged BJP national president Amit Shah to contest

coming Lok Sabha polls from West Bengal.

Banerjee, MP, said that people of India are looking up to

TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to

lead the nation after 2019.

He questioned why Shah didn't have the guts to conduct a

press conference Thursday when Alok Verma was still CBI chief.

"Amit Shah is saying his next target is West Bengal. I

want to challenge him if he has the guts he should contest

elections from any of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. I

would ensure that he loses the election," Abhishek said while

addressing a rally in North Kolkata.

In an apparent reference to switchover of party MP

Soumitra Khan to BJP, Abhsihek Banerjee said the those who

have rejected by the TMC are treated as "gems" in BJP.

"Those who have been rejected by TMC, who are basically

not but garbage on our party, all of a sudden have become gems

in BJP. This is the condition of BJP in Bengal. I can assure

all of you that BJP won't win even a single seat in Bengal,"

he said.

The BJP leadership has earmarked Bengal as a priority

state and it's party president Amit Shah has set a target of

winning 22 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal.

He (Shah) was conducting a press conference Friday if he

had the guts he should have conducted it Thursday when Alok

Verma was still CBI chief, Banerjee said in a apparent

reference to uncomfortable questions that have been raised

against BJP over the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Banerjee, who is also nephew of Mamata, said the

countdown for the "anti people" Modi government has begun.

"Mamata Banerjee is the leading light that the people of

India are looking at to oust the Modi government at the

centre," he said.

Mocking the defeat of BJP in three hindi heartland

states, Banerjee said BJP for last 4.5 years gave used CBI and

ED as a tool to silence political opponents and detractors but

has failed to do so with TMC.

"The TMC is the only political party which has not

surrendered before the intimidation tactics of BJP. The more

they threatened us with CBI and ED the more stronger we

emerged by defeating all threats and intimidation," he said.

TMC party leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay gave

the call to ensure that the next government at the centre is

formed under the leadership Mamata Banerjee.

Bandopadhyay criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for

giving nominal time to the parliament and not delivering a

single speech in the winter session of the Parliament.

"We have never witnessed such a incident where Prime

Minister comes to parliament just for few minutes and doesn't

deliver a single speech on any of the issues. Where are we

heading to. The people of this country should take a call in

the next Lok Sabha polls," he said.