Tamil Nadu: Zero
Kerala: Zilch
Telangana: Not even half of 2019 (which works out to two)
This is Mamata Banerjee’s estimate of the BJP’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls, nowhere close to the much-vaunted 400-plus target being tom-tommed by the ruling party.
The Bengal chief minister on Wednesday predicted the likely outcomes in eight states that make up 278 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies to buttress her claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in power for only around a month.
The NDA had fared remarkably well in five of the eight states in 2019.
The Trinamool Congress chief said the NDA was going to bleed in major states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Of the 202 seats across these five states, the NDA had won 180 in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Mamata also mentioned Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu where the NDA had bagged only five of the 76 seats.
“Do you really think the BJP will come to power this time? Listen to the word from the ground,” said the chief minister.
“The BJP will govern for only one more month. Their jomidari (feudal rule) will not continue thereafter,” she added.
Mamata said the BJP had swept many major states in 2019 and the NDA secured 350-plus seats out of 543.
“This time, even in Uttar Pradesh, they won’t get as much as they did (64 of the 80 seats were won by the NDA). (SP chief) Akhilesh (Yadav) and others have been fighting fiercely, really well,” she said at a campaign rally at Ausgram in East Burdwan.
The chief minister said the NDA was going to fare poorly in Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
“In Bihar, what they got (all 39 seats), they will not even get half of that this time. In Rajasthan, in the first phase itself, kupokat (knocked out)! Ghabrey gyachheyn (Modi is nervous). In Madhya Pradesh too, they got all seats (the NDA won 28 of the 29). Now, not even half of that…. Karnataka, last time they swept (NDA won 26 of the 28). This time, not even half,” Mamata said to thunderous applause from the audience.
She added that the BJP or its allies would be unable to make inroads into states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana.
“Tamil Nadu? Zero (out of 39). In Kerala? Only the CPM and the Congress there (in the 20 seats), not you (the BJP)…. In Telangana? Not even half the seats (the NDA won four of the 17 in 2019),” Mamata said.
The chief minister went on to mock Modi for the BJP’s publicity blitz, calling him “Prochar Babu”, implying his penchant for publicity.
“We have to ensure the BJP’s defeat and protect all (Bengal) seats from them. The BJP has two eyes in Bengal — the CPM and the Congress, which are being used to split the Trinamool Congress’s votes unfairly,” she said. “The more seats we win in Bengal, the more strength we can add to the INDIA bloc in Delhi, walk with our heads held high, and contribute towards nation-building,” she added.
The Trinamool chief once again tore into the saffron regime over the perceived loss of civil liberties. “Today, they are saying that people cannot eat meat, fish, or eggs in many states because Prochar Babu doesn’t want it. Over 80 per cent of the people in this country are non-vegetarian. They have shut down (non-vegetarian) shops in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. They could not dare do that here because we fight like tigers,” she said. “If BJP comes again, people will not have the right to live with any freedom,” Mamata added. “I urge everyone across the country to vote against the BJP…. The sooner they go, the better off this country is.”
She also warned of the BJP’s contentious One Nation, One Election plan and said India won’t see elections if they secure a third consecutive term at the Centre. “If the BJP manages to win these elections, they will not allow elections anymore. Indian democracy is being turned into one large prison…. One election, one party and one leader,” said Mamata.