SHILLONG, Dec 13: Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday extended all support to the party’s Meghalaya unit and asserted in clear words that they would fight the elections in 2023 to defeat the BJP and the NPP.
“No challenges. We only want to defeat the BJP and the NPP,” Banerjee said while replying to a query on the challenges before the party in Meghalaya.
Informing that she had visited Meghalaya to campaign for (L) PA Sangma for the Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said, “I went to Tura when PA Sangma had contested the elections. When Mukul Sangma and Charles Pyngrope came with us we thought we will be able to accept the challenges.”
“I believe and trust that they will be able to win the battle. We will give them full support,” she added.
Asked if the TMC will contest in all the 60 seats, she said, “That is the Meghalaya party’s decision and we will not interfere.”
On leaders and sitting legislators from other parties wanting to join the TMC, she said, “Our local leaders will decided if others want to join TMC or want an alliance. We have no objection.”
She further said that there are no schemes here for the people and if elected the TMC will introduce a number of schemes to benefit the people.
Lashing out at the BJP regime, she questioned, “Why have they taken so much land from Meghalaya? Have they asked the Meghalaya people? They fired at five-six people…was anybody arrested?”
She claimed that the TMC will solve the interstate border issue but did not outline how the party would manage that. “Sometimes you have to realise and be cool. I cannot disclose now how we will do it but it will be decided at a proper time,” she said.
Pointing out that BJP always talks about double engine government, she said they do not want to see the regional parties and people in distress and danger.
On fielding women candidates, she said that it is something that the state TMC will take a call on.
Talking about money and muscle power, she condemned both and said, “I don’t want money and muscle power. We want democracy.”
On the issue of illegal coal mining she said that it may have been banned officially but the state government is not taking much action.
She said that they have a law in her state to stop illegal mining and she might do the same here.
Asked to review the MDA regime of four-and-half years in Meghalaya, she said, “Worthless, baseless, faceless.”
