New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and stressed on the need for Congress to be a part of united opposition front against the BJP.
Ms Mamata Banerjee, who is also known as Didi of Bengal, said that the two leaders discussed the ongoing political scenario and strategies to oust the BJP in Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections during the 20-minute meeting held at Mrs Gandhi’s residence.
“I told Soniaji that we want the Congress to be a part of the united opposition,” she told reporters later. The Trinamool Congress leader said she had stressed that the opposition had to come together to unite and fight the BJP in the states.
“I told her what the country wants is that there should be a state-wise, one-on-one fight with the BJP. The party that is the strongest in the state should contest against the BJP there,” she said.
“We want the Congress to win Karnataka because the Congress is strong there,” she added.
Ms Banerjee said she also updated and discussed with Mrs Gandhi the meetings that she has been holding with the leaders of regional parties. “We are trying to work together…We want the Congress also to be part of that,” she said.
The actual schedule of the meet between the two leaders was supposed to be on Tuesday, but was postponed because the UPA chairperson was indisposed.
The leader of Trinamool Congress had held meetings with several opposition leaders on Tuesday, but she did not talk about it with any of the Congress leaders.
The Chief Minister of Bengal also said that Congress’ help is needed to start the “one-on-one fight” in the states and also added that parties which had an alliance with the Congress would carry on with the tie-ups.
“Lalu (Yadav) ji and Sharad (Yadav) ji have an alliance with the Congress. Their alliance will continue,” she said, adding that such a fight can be effectively fought by a simple rule, that the opposition party which was the strongest in a state should be supported by the others to oust the BJP.
She heavily criticized the BJP while talking to reporters.
“To finish democracy in the country, the BJP is committing atrocities. Apart from political vendetta, the BJP does not do anything,” she said.
Ms Banerjee further added, “I am 100 per cent sure that when there is one fight, the BJP will go”.
The chief minister of West Bengal is in Delhi to hold meetings with several parties in an attempt to unite them for a united opposition front against the BJP and bring together all opposition parties on a single platform.
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