Mamata Banerjee on Monday predicted the likely outcome of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, claiming that the BJP would get barely 195 seats and the INDIA bloc 315-odd seats.

The chief minister rolled out her forecast on a day voters across the country participated in the fourth phase of the election, and a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted at all his four election rallies in Bengal that the BJP and its allies would cross the 400-mark at the hustings. “No Modi this time. According to my estimate till yesterday, they (the BJP) will get barely 190 or 195 (seats). The INDIA block will win in 315 seats, excluding the share of three or four of its constituents,” said Mamata from a rally in North 24 Parganas’ Bongaon.

“The election so far has been good. That is why the faces of the leaders in Delhi have turned pale. They can easily understand that Modi-babu will not
return to the helm again,” added the Trinamool Congress chairperson.

Mamata’s prediction on the poll outcome assumes significance as the top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have again brought back their “400-paar” slogan in the campaign rallies.

On Monday, as the crowd shouted slogans in favour of Mamata as the next prime minister, she claimed that her party would play a role in helping the INDIA bloc to the helm of the Centre. “Didi is here with you. Remember, Modi will not be in Delhi. Didi’s role will be to ensure that the INDIA bloc is at the helm in Delhi. We will help from here (Bengal) to form a strong INDIA bloc government,” said Mamata, who later attended another campaign rally in Barrackpore, one of the four venues of Modi’s Sunday show.

During his poll campaign on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who tried to play the polarisation card, accused the INDIA bloc constituents, including Trinamool and the Congress, of taking away reservations for the SCs, STs and OBCs and giving them to the Muslims before asserting that he would not let just injustice take place.

Mamata on Monday countered Modi’s statement on the reservation, accusing him of resorting to falsehood. “At a meeting yesterday, he (Modi) claimed that Muslims will take away the reservation of the SCs.... How can they do it? We will not allow tampering with the Constitution that ensures reservation for the SC and the STs. Muslims also know that their rights are completely different from that of the SCs, the STs or the OBCs,” she said.

Mamata also strongly opposed the PM’s claim that he would ensure the implementation of CAA.

“Modiji said yesterday that CAA will be implemented in Bengal. We don’t understand why someone needs
to apply for citizenship when you (the Centre) are asking
to bring 50-year-old documents to prove that they
came from Bangladesh. I will have no objection if citizenship is given unconditionally,” said Mamata.

Mamata also mounted a scathing attack on Modi asking him not to play with the self-respect and dignity of the women in Bengal while accusing the BJP of staging the “Sandeskhlai drama” by lodging false complaints.

“Don’t touch our women.... This is not your Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh. Women in Bengal live with respect and dignity,” she said.