Mamata BanerjeeMamata Banerjee

The 2024 general election in India is coming to an end with the results due on 4 June. And with the last round voting due on 1 June, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in West Bengal to shore up the BJP vote which seems to be doing strongly at least in some states in India.

To counter PM Modi’s rally, the firebrand Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee took to a procession on foot where she told people in Kolkata not to vote for BJP for its divisive politics.

Emphasizing the BJP’s alleged hatred towards Bengal, promises made at the last election and not kept, Ms Banerjee exhorted Bengalis to flock to the polling booths on Saturday, in an attempt to say goodbye to the BJP government whose days, she said were numbered.

Mamta Banerjee claimed the BJP would not be coming back to power post 4 June 2024. Mama Banerjee was addressing an election gathering at Behala Chowrasta to support TMC’s nominee Mala Roy. Mala Roy is TMC’s two time MP from the seat. Mala Roy is facing BJP’s Debashree Chowdhury, former MP from Raigunj and CPM’s Saira Shah Halim.

Addressing the gathering in her typical Mamata style, Ms Banerjee said,

“It was really amazing when the Prime Minister said that he had worked for the cyclone Remal-hit people. This is the biggest lie. Our administration had worked day and night to evacuate the people and give them primary relief. I fail to understand how could a Prime Minister speak so much lies. Throughout the country wherever he is going, he is telling lies. There should be a limit to his speaking lies.”

Also having a dig at Narendra Modi’s philosophical interview where he said he believed he had been sent by the Gods on a mission, Ms Banerjee said he is the first Prime Minister, who has claimed himself to be a divine being and has come to the world to fulfil god’s mission.

What mission it is? Is it to divide society, spread hatred or give shelter to the corrupt people? Anyone who is corrupt is entering the BJP’s washing machine and coming out clean. Is this the mission of god I want to know,” she asked, adding, “If he is a god he should go to the temple and stay there”.

How can a god speak so much lie?” she questioned.

TMC of Mamata Banerjee and the BJP of Narendra Modi are in a very close fight for the states 42 seats. The BJP had only 2 seats in 2014 and increased its seats won from 2 to 18 in the 2019 general election while Mamata Banerjee’s TMC lost 12 seats coming down from 34 to 22. This time big gains for the BJP are being predicted and observers feel the BJP stands to gain an extra 5-8 seats.