Kolkata: Elections yet to be over, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today made a prediction for Uttar Pradesh, where a good showing is absolutely essential for any party hoping to rule at the Centre. The BJP, Mamata Banerjee told NDTV’s Prannoy Roy, is “losing” and the party would not even get 17 of the state’s 80 seats.
“The Congress will get seven to eight seats, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav will do very well,” the Chief Minister said.
In 2014, the BJP won 70 seats and its ally Apna Dal two seats in Uttar Pradesh, the state with the largest number of seats. It helped the party win an effortless majority in the Lok Sabha — the first time in nearly three decades for a single party.
Ms Banerjee said the cohesion between regional parties is very much on, and their talks for further plans are progressing. Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi labelling the opposition as “khichri”, she questioned what’s wrong with khichri; “you can have rice, dal or potato curry also. It is put together in khichri”.
Accusing the Prime Minister of lowering the level of political discourse, she said, ” don’t speak his language. He must know that he is the PM and when he is talking, people are listening. Political speech is also about culture. I have been called a goon and whatnot. But I don’t talk like that”.
Asked to rate PM Modi in comparison to other prime ministers, she said “I cannot rate him one even… He has become worse than fascist”.
“What they are doing in Bengal it is more than emergency. They are running everything. All officers are under the election commission,” she said.
The BJP is running a parallel government “and everywhere, they are spending so much money,” said the Chief Minister, who recently alleged that the Election Commission had ordered the transfer of four police officers at the behest of the ruling BJP at the centre.
The Commission had rejected the allegation, saying its decision was based on “cumulative feedback” from one of its top officials and the special police observer.
The commission also told Ms Banerjee that as per election law, it is “fully within its rights” to transfer and appoint officers during model code.
With the BJP aiming for 23 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, the war of words between Ms Banerjee and the Prime Minister went up a notch today. PM Modi has claimed that 40 of her legislators are in touch with him and will desert her as the results of the Lok Sabha elections are declared.
Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has accused him of horsetrading and filed a complaint with the Election Commission. Senior party leader Derek O’Brien tweeted: Expiry Babu PM , let’s get this straight. Nobody will go with you. Not even one councillor. Are you election campaigning or horse trading! Your expiry date is near. Today, we are complaining to the Election Commission. Charging you with horse trading”.
A later tweet from the leader read: “The complaint against Modi for horse trading has been filed with ECI. Monday, 7pm. Watch this space”.
