Mamata talks of uniting Goa’s regional parties

NT NETWORK

Panaji

After meeting leaders of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP), All India Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is now trying to stitch an alliance with the state’s regional parties and unite them in her fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming state assembly elections.

Interacting with media on Saturday, the last day of her three-day visit to the state, the West Bengal Chief Minister said she wants the regional parties in Goa to be strong. 

“The TMC will be happy to work with regional parties of Goa that are committed to defeat BJP in the upcoming assembly polls, as we want that the federal structure should be strong. We should make states strong. If the states are strong, then the Centre will be strong. Delhi ka dadagiri amka naka (We don’t want bullying of Delhi), enough is enough,” she said.

After MGP leader Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar and his party functionaries met her on Friday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief on Saturday held a meeting with GFP chief Vijai Sardesai and his party colleagues.

When asked whether the TMC would forge a pre-poll alliance with the state’s regional political parties,

Banerjee said that she has held discussions with them and now it is up to them to decide on it. Banerjee said TMC believes in distributing seats to the regional parties.

When questioned whether she has asked for a merger of GFP into TMC, Mamata said she has discussed the matter and told the regional parties that whoever is committed to fight BJP must walk together.

“It is their (regional parties) decision, their choice what they will decide, we want to avoid division of votes. The regional and local parties can work together and give a good fight to BJP,” she said. Banerjee also stated that one who can win Goa will win India.

However, she firmly said that her party will not go for an alliance with the Congress party. “How can we forge an alliance with that party, which had contested against my party and me in West Bengal polls,” she questioned.

When asked why the TMC has not constituted state executive committee as of today, Banerjee said she needs to talk to people first. “We are meeting farmers, fishermen, women etc. Constituting the state executive hardly matters,” she said. 

Banerjee emphasised that her fight against BJP will continue and added that there will be no compromise. Taking on BJP, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has destroyed the country by showing a dream of ‘achche din’. She said common people are suffering from inflation, unemployment and other issues. She also criticised the Congress party saying that it is not serious and that is the reason Modi has become powerful.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also stressed on making media strong. “If media is strong, country will be strong,” she said.

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