At a time when speculations are rife over the falling out of Trinammol Congress leader Suvendu Adhikari with the party, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday held a public meeting at Mr. Adhikar’s turf and gave a clear message that she will not yield to “blackmailing and bargaining” before polls.
“The BJP and friends of BJP are trying various tricks. I want to tell them you cannot blackmail the TMC, you cannot bargain with TMC whenever elections approaches,” Ms Banerjee said addressing the gathering at Purba Medinipur district.
The Chief Minister did not make any direct reference to Mr. Adhikari but her remarks were clearly aimed at TMC heavyweight, who was in Kolkata when she was addressing the rally. Ms. Banerjee’s rally at Purba Medinipur was also a show of strength and the entire district was flooded with posters and placards of the Chief Minister.
No member of the Adhikari family, including his father Sisir Adhikari and brother Dibyendu Adhikari were present at Ms. Banerjee’s rally. Both of them are MPs are from Purba Medinipur district. Of the 12 TMC MLAs from the district seven of them were present at the rally.
Ms. Banerjee said when she started the party many would take a swipe saying that it won’t last long but now the party has turned into a huge tree. Another senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha Manas Ranjan Bhuniya referred to the famous analogy of Mir Zafar and Siraj-ud-Daulah during the Battle of Plassey but he also refrained from taking any names.
The Chief Minister said she was in full support of the farmer’s agitation in Delhi. “The BJP government should either withdraw these farm bills or resign,” she said. Ms Banerjee directed her party to hold protests in every block on Tuesday to support the nationwide strike called by farmers and supported by political parties in Opposition.
