NEW DELHI: Emboldened by the BJP’s humiliating defeat in Karnataka, senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday urged fellow Bengalis to deliver a strong electoral blow to the saffron party in 2024 that would stay in its “memory for decades.”
Banerjee – who is on an ambitious, 2-month-long foot march – called upon party workers in Purba Bardhaman to work towards reducing the margin of votes by which they defeated BJP candidates in the 2019 general elections, and increase it threefold in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at a gathering, Banerjee – the powerful nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee – said, “The margin by which the BJP was defeated in 2019, in 2024, we will increase it three times. Democratically, we will have to strike the BJP so hard that it remains etched in their memory for decades.”
“Democracy will defeat authoritarianism,” he thundered.
Highlighting the issue of pending MGNREGA dues by the Centre, a pressing concern in Bengal with the upcoming Panchayat elections, Banerjee pledged unwavering commitment to ensure that every household in every block is aware of the struggle to release Bengal’s funds.
“We will not stand idly by and watch the BJP-led central government exploit, oppress, and deprive our people,” asserted Banerjee, who completed 21 days of his Jono Sanjog Yatra on Monday.
TMC has recently launched an ambitious campaign named “Trinamoole Nabo Jowar” to connect with people at the grassroots ahead of the panchayat polls. As part of the campaign, Banerjee’s 60-day yatra will traverse every district, interacting with the masses to unite the party’s grassroots members.
Ensuring democratic, free, fair, and peaceful panchayat polls is among the key goals of the campaign.
TMC registered victory on 22 seats in the last general elections, and the TMC leader has pledged to win 40 out of 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.