Arrest me if you can, will ensure TMC's victory in polls from jail : Mamata dares BJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday hit out at BJP calling it a "curse to the nation" and "garbage of lies" and dared the saffron party to arrest her asserting that she will ensure TMC's victory in the state elections even from the jail.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday hit out at BJP calling it a "curse to the nation" and "garbage of lies" and dared the saffron party to arrest her asserting that she will ensure TMC's victory in the state elections even from the jail. The defeat of BJP in the 2021 assembly election in West Bengal, where it has emerged as the main opposition, will be a "mighty blow to the arrogance and misrule of the BJP at the Centre", she said.

Banerjee accused BJP of trying to poach TMC MLAs by attempting to bribe them. Without naming anyone, she said some people are sitting on the fence under the illusion that the saffron party might come to power in the state. "The BJP is not a political party but a garbage of lies. The BJP is a curse to the nation. Whenever election knocks at the door, it brings up the issues of Narada (sting operation) and Saradha (scam) to intimidate TMC leaders.

"But let me tell very clearly that I am not afraid of the BJP or its agencies. If they have the guts, they can arrest me and put me behind bars. I will fight elections from the jail and ensure TMC's victory," Banerjee said in her first major public rally here post-COVID. Referring to the recently held Bihar elections, Banerjee said even though Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav was jailed, he ensured his party fared well.

"Even Lalu Prasad Yadav has been put behind bars, but still he has ensured his party's good performance. The victory of the BJP (in Bihar) is through manipulation and not through popular mandate. It is not a victor, it is a defeat," the TMC supremo, who is one the most vocal critics of the BJP, said. The TMC supremo exuded confidence that the party will return to power in West Bengal for the third consecutive time with a bigger mandate than in the present term.

Accusing BJP of allegedly attempting to poach TMC leaders, she said "They have thousands of crores of rupees now. Earlier, they couldn't even have a proper meal. Now they are calling TMC workers and MLAs and saying 'I will pay you two crores come over'". Continuing her attack, Banerjee said, "Few people are under the illusion that they (BJP) will come to power, so they are trying to take a chance. But I want to say there is neither any chance nor by chance for BJP to come to power. We will again return to power with a bigger mandate." In a message to disgruntled TMC leaders, she said that she is aware of those in touch with the opposition camp and differences among individuals should not lead to any misunderstanding about the party.

Banerjee said she will henceforth personally look after the party as well as the administration. "I have been in politics all my life. Through my experience, I can never claim that everybody is good. There may be one or two people who are not good, but we will set right those mistakes. The TMC will rectify if some mistakes have been committed," she said.

"There can be misunderstandings or someone may be angry with some individuals, but please don't misunderstand the party for that," Banerjee appealed. TMC, she said, has a mechanism for seeking ground reports about its leaders and had removed several leaders against whom there were complaints.

"Some have grievances over who will act as the party observer of which district. I want to make it clear that I am the party's observer for the entire state. When you are in a political party, you need to take everybody along," she asserted. She iterated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit to a tribal household on November 5 here for lunch was a "show off" and the food items served to the BJP leader were cooked at five-star hotels.

Shah during his visit to Bengal earlier in the month had visited a tribal household in Bankura and a Matua home in Kolkata. Taking potshots at the CPI(M), Banerjee told the meeting "Earlier the CPI(M)had unleashed a reign of terror in Bankura. Several people were killed and were rendered homeless by CPI(M) goons. People didn't dare to come out of their homes then. Has Bankura forgotten everything?" "Bankura is at peace now. The guns of Maoists have fallen silent. CPI(M) goons have switched over to the BJP.

Only the colour has changed," she said. "CPI(M) is a party of the lobhi (greedy), BJP is a party of "bhogi" (one who enjoys) and TMC is a party of the "tyagi" (who renounces). Now both CPI(M) and the BJP have joined hands in Bengal," she claimed and expressed confidence that it will win all assembly seats in the district.

Bankura, a tribal and backward community dominated district, is one of the several in the state where BJP had made deep inroads in the last Lok Sabha elections by bagging both the parliamentary seats. She cautioned the people against voting for BJP as it "will pave the way for the implementation of NRC and CAA in Bengal", which has been vehemently opposed by TMC.

Banerjee said, "If you vote for BJP and they come to power (in West Bengal), they will immediately try to introduce the National Register for Citizens (NRC). They will ask you for the birth certificates of your father, your mother, your grandmother and your grandfather. And if you are unable to provide those they will ask you to leave Bengal". Reacting to Banerjee's challenge to BJP to send her to jail, the party's West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh said it seemed she has sensed that the days of the TMC government are numbered.

"Why is she making such illogical statements? Is she and her party afraid of anything? The days of the TMC government are numbered in Bengal and I think she has sensed it. "If TMC is a party of the tyagis, from where are its leaders getting money to build such big houses and buy cars.

The TMC is the most corrupt party of India," he said. The CPI(M) too refuted Banerjee's allegations that its cadres were joining hands with the BJP.

"It is TMC which has ensured space for the saffron camp through its competitive communalism," it said. Election to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is due in April-May.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)