Kolkata:

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday asserted that the future of the INDIA bloc depends, to a large extent, on the performance of his party in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing an election rally at Raghunathganj in Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency, where polling will be held on May 7, the TMC national general secretary asserted that BJP will be “astonished” to see the results on June 4, and a “democratic and secular government” will be established in Delhi.

“The future of the INDIA bloc depends to a large extent on how the TMC performs in West Bengal… BJP will be astonished to see the results (of Lok Sabha polls) on June 4. A democratic and secular government will be established in Delhi,” he said.

Coming down heavily on the Congress and CPI(M), its INDIA bloc allies at the national level, the Diamond Harbour MP claimed that when Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were seeking the support of the Trinamool Congress for the formation of the opposition alliance, the parties’ West Bengal leaders were “effusively abusing” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“I distinctly remember that when Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, in Mumbai, were seeking the support of the Trinamool Congress for strengthening the INDIA bloc, West Bengal Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and CPI (M)’s Mohammad Salim were speaking against Mamata Banerjee and the TMC. It is clear that both Congress and CPI (M) are working together to strengthen the hands of the BJP in the state,” he alleged.

“Mamata Banerjee wanted a seat-sharing agreement to take on the BJP in states where regional parties are strong enough to do that. But every moment, Adhir Chowdhury abuses the TMC. People have identified who the real traitor is,” he said.

He charged the Congress and the CPI(M) with not raising voices on issues such as price rise, CAA or NRC, and working as “B-team” of the BJP.

“Is it not true that the Mamata Banerjee government gives out financial doles under Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which helps women run households? But has the Congress or the CPI (M) ever spoken against rising prices? It is clear they are working as the B-team of the BJP. They have also not uttered a single word against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) or NRC (National Register of Citizens). It is up to the people whom to vote for so that BJP is taught a lesson,” he said.

Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the BJP has “unleashed” Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax Department on the TMC.

“Even the helicopter on which I was supposed to fly was searched by I-T officials. A few days ago, a sinister plot to make an attempt on my life was thwarted due to timely intervention of Kolkata Police. But I am not scared,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)