“Forget 400, they won’t cross…” This is what Mamata Banerjee predicts for BJP in Lok Sabha battle 2024

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on BJP on Sunday over the alleged misuse of central agencies against the opposition parties and questioned if that reflects confidence of a party ‘talking big’ of crossing 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Trinamool Congress had earlier condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate.

“If they are so confident of winning 400 seats then why do they need to unleash CBI, ED, IT after opposition parties ahead of elections. Why are they then transferring state government officers? One who is getting married is also the ‘pandit’ commissioning the marriage. They are trying to do everything to win but they won’t. In Bengal they will score a big zero. Forget 400, I ask them if they would even cross 200 seats”, said Mamata Banerjee while campaigning for TMC candidate Mahua Moitra in Krishnanagar, Nadia on Sunday. This was the TMC supremo’s first election campaign post her injury recovery.

Mocking PM Modi’s new election cry “Modi Ki Guarantee”, Mamata Banerjee reiterated that after the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, BJP is guaranteed to follow it up with NRC and in that people will eventually lose their citizenship. “Modi’s guarantee is zero and for us the guarantee is people who are the real heros”, she said while asserting that in Bengal CAA or NRC will not be implemented. 

The CAA rules have been commissioned in March 2024, days before the election dates were announced by the Election Commission of India. But the rules mandate every applicant to furnish certain documents, most of the Bangladeshi Hindus who have migrated to India during the 1972 war under trying circumstances, do not possess. "The CAA is a trap to turn legal citizens into foreigners. Once you apply for CAA, NRC will later follow. We will not allow either CAA or NRC in West Bengal. Don't fall for the false assurance of the central government. If you apply, you will be designated as a foreigner for 5 years and you will be bereft of all social security schemes that you are now getting,” she added while dubbing BJP as the “biggest jumla party”.