Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
Trinamul Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, in her party’s organisational meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium outlined a strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections while also stressing the importance of party discipline and decorum on Thursday.
Mamata said the BJP had hatched a conspiracy to revise the electoral rolls packed with outsiders to occupy Bengal.
The ruling TMC had won 213 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls, securing a comfortable majority, while the BJP managed to bag 77 seats.
“We will win more than 215 seats out of 294, in the next Bengal Assembly polls and make sure the BJP’s numbers decline further,” Bengal chief minister said while addressing a party meeting.
The TMC supremo recalled the saffron party’s slogans in the past elections.
“In the 2021 assembly polls, BJP leaders said ‘200 paar’ but were defeated. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, they claimed '400 paar' but they could not even secure a majority. What Abhishek (Banerjee) said is absolutely correct. We will achieve a two-thirds majority, but you must ensure an even bigger victory. This time, BJP nominees must lose their deposits,” she said.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called upon party workers to ensure a decisive win for the party.
“The fight to secure Bengal’s future has begun. We must ensure the victory of the TMC and make Mamata Banerjee the chief minister for the fourth consecutive time. Our goal is to win a two-thirds majority in the 2026 assembly elections,” he said.
Abhishek Banerjee rejected reports that he has differences with party supremo Mamata Banerjee, and reaffirmed his loyalty to her.
"I am a loyal soldier of the TMC, and my leader is Mamata Banerjee," he said at a party conference here.
Dismissing speculation that he might cross over to the BJP, he said, "Those who are saying that I am joining BJP are spreading canards. Even with a severed head, I will say Mamata Banerjee Zindabad. Whatever is coming out in the news these days is a blatant lie. I know the people who are spreading such fake news with vested interests ahead of next year's assembly polls."
Urging party members to focus on public service instead of internal conflicts, Banerjee said, "Forget about your own differences next year and concentrate on working for the people. There is no point in engaging in conspiracies. Those indulging in WhatsApp group politics should know that such efforts will be futile. Those conspiring will be impacted themselves."
He asserted that he would continue to expose traitors within the party, as he had done during previous elections.
"In the past, I had identified those who betrayed the party, including Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari. I took the responsibility of exposing them. In the coming days, I will continue to identify such people," he said.
Abhishek Banerjee also warned against indiscipline within the party.
"Many leaders make statements to stay relevant in the media without adhering to party discipline. Do not disobey the party's rules. Those who have done so have already been identified," he said.
Mamata said the manipulation was being carried out in the Assembly seats where the BJP’s losing margin was narrow in the 2021 elections.
Mamata has instructed party state president Subrata Bakshi to head a committee comprising Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and several other MPs, MLAs, state ministers and party leaders to review the voters’ list in each of the blocks.
Party functionaries at the block level to scrutinise the electoral rolls. The work will start from Friday and has to be completed within 10 days.
At least four members of the committee will be available at Trinamul Bhawan to listen to the party workers from the blocks and districts in problems rectifying the discrepancies in the electoral rolls.
Party sources said that the Trinamul Congress chief may also give guidelines on how to start various outreach programmes so that the leaders go to the households and physically listen to the grievances of the people.
