Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday she would be happy to see the BJP’s downfall start from the Assembly polls in Karnataka next week and passed a missive to voters of the southern state that they should not vote for the saffron party.

“I will be happy if the downfall of BJP starts from Karnataka. We are not in the contest and want to say that people should not vote for the party. No vote to BJP,” she said, while speaking at a meeting in Malda during the statewide outreach drive launched by her party in Bengal.

In Karnataka, Assembly elections will be held on May 10.

She reasserted that in Bengal, she will not let the Centre implement the NRC, keeping in mind the minority vote bank of Malda.

“These days, they are trying to implement the NRC in another manner. We will not allow them in our state,” she said.

Mamata, who for the first time attended the drive spearheaded by Trinamul’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, was also critical of the Congress and the Left.

“We know about Sagardighi…. from where the funds have come and how they was used. In Bengal, the Left and Congress are in tacit understanding with the BJP. Unlike them, we are clear in our intentions and can thus openly assert that people should not vote for the BJP in Karnataka,” she said.

In March this year, Bayron Biswas, a Congress candidate backed by the Left, secured the Sagardighi Assembly seat in Murshidabad, a district with a minority population of around 72 per cent.

The win, political observers said, left Trinamul rattled.

Mamata, while addressing party leaders and workers, underlined the issue.

“We don’t want any division of votes. Some people and parties have emerged these days and are trying to divide votes in connivance with the BJP. This has to be stopped,” she said.

The chief minister also trained her guns at the BJP over the issue of corruption.

“They allege that everyone in Trinamul is a thief…. they themselves (the BJP) are into monumental corruption. Here (in Trinamul-ruled Bengal), they have sent agencies and no one has stopped them. In due course, they will understand the consequences of resorting to the illegal acts,” said Mamata.

She also endorsed the latest campaign, Trinamul-ey Nobojowar (new tide in Trinamul), to reach out to people in Bengal and also get recommendations from them about candidates the party would field in rural elections.

“I praise Abhishek and the young brigade (of Trinamul), who have taken up this task to carry out the drive for 60 days. We believe this new tide will wash away the BJP that is scoffing at the initiative,” said Mamata.

The Trinamul supremo, who attended the drive on its tenth day on Thursday, said she will be present at Gangasagar, where the drive will conclude, on the 60th day.

“We are giving due importance to the drive as people are supporting it. Our party workers should join it to make it a success,” she said.