Mamata Banerjee claims Trinamool Congress is only alternative to BJP

She urged people of poll-bound Tripura to break myth of a double-engine government and vote only for her party, to introduce ‘Bengal model’ of governance

Trinamool Congress Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee equated the Congress with the BJP and said her party was the only alternative to the BJP. She urged the people of poll-bound Tripura to break the myth of a double-engine government and vote only for her party, to introduce the ‘Bengal model’ of governance in the State.

“The Congress and the CPI(M) failed, only the Trinamool Congress is fighting against the BJP”, she said at an election rally here on Tuesday. Ms. Banerjee also led a ‘padyatra’ (foot march) in the State capital, which saw an impressive attendance.

Speaking at the rally, she highlighted her government’s welfare schemes, a few of which were appreciated by the offices of the United Nations. She assured that Tripura would get the same set of programmes.

Lashing out at the Left-Congress electoral alliance in the Tripura elections, she said this was a political picture of West Bengal for a long time till ‘we’ built Trinamool Congress and demolished CPI (M) rule. “I was always telling people that the Congress is the B Team of the CPI (M) and you all now see it happening in Tripura,” she said.

Ms. Banerjee said the country was facing an unprecedented unemployment problem and added that joblessness had increased by 40% in the country, under the double-engine government. She also spoke on how the BJP was allegedly misusing the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate against political opponents.

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also spoke at the rally. He urged the people to vote for the party symbol Jora Ghas Phul (two flowers with grass), and requested them not to be choosy about party candidates to install his party government in Tripura. This was his seventh visit to the State over a period of two years, to expand the organisation.

The Trinamool is contesting 28 seats in the elections to the 60-member Tripura Assembly. The magic figure to form a government is 31.