‘TMC will return soon’: 3 months after defeat, Mamata declares comeback

Three months after losing the Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday declared that her party would “return to power very soon” in West Bengal and accused the BJP of having “captured Bengal by theft”.

“Do not worry, another change will come to Bengal. Very soon, the Trinamool Congress will return to power…and the BJP's own people will answer the BJP,” Banerjee said at a Kolkata rally marking the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad’s (TMCP) foundation day.

Both TMC factions, the Mamata Banerjee one and the rebel group, had applied to hold the TMCP foundation day rally at Mayo Road. The Calcutta High Court, however, directed the Mamata Banerjee faction to hold its rally at Cathedral Road and the rebel faction at Rani Rashmoni Road.

“The BJP has no organisation. It is making the police do its work across Bengal. This time, I will file a case against the police. This kind of oppression cannot be allowed. I make that vow on Raksha Bandhan. After that, I will begin a tour of the districts.

If permission is not granted, I will walk,” Banerjee said. “Wherever I see injustice, I will protest. Wherever I see oppression, I will resist. If somebody is unjustly arrested in front of you, stand up and question it. Let us see how many prisons and jails there are, and how many people they can imprison,” she added.

Criticising the police, Banerjee referred to an alleged incident that occurred on Friday, saying three young men who had gone to offer namaz at a mosque near a gurdwara beside the rally venue were arrested by police as they stepped out.

“I do not recognise this police force. The police force I worked with was humane, not inhuman. They helped people. There may have been one or two isolated incidents, but I have seen policemen stand their ground, suffer injuries and shed blood.

They did not run bulldozers over people, fire tear gas or bullets indiscriminately; they stood beside the people,” she said. Banerjee also hit out at the Election Commission, saying the poll body was “used to hijack the election” and that “votes were looted in the name of SIR”.

“I have seen our workers arrested, party offices occupied and burned, people injured, stripped, forced through mud, humiliated, and even paraded in chains. I have seen what happened around Jadavpur University,” she added.

The former chief minister invited 10 hawkers, who allegedly faced harassment and lost their livelihoods during a BJP eviction drive, onto the stage. TMCP members then tied rakhis on their wrists and provided financial assistance.

Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, without naming anyone, accused the Mamata Banerjee TMC faction of colluding with the BJP. Addressing the TMCP foundation day rally, he mocked Banerjee’s claim of “fighting like a tiger,” saying she “might have meant a cat.” “Now, this is a script prepared by the BJP in the past to turn that tiger into a cat,” Ritabrata said, adding, “The chief minister is talking about corruption in the Assembly, but the head of corruption worth thousands of crores of rupees is still roaming around in good health.” “The Trinamool Congress made a mistake; that’s why the BJP came to power.

But they are not taking any action regarding student union elections. On the contrary, they have placed their MLAs and MPs at the head of the college and university management committees. So what is the difference between you and Anilayan (referring to the late CPI(M) leader Anil Biswas) and Mamatayan?

In the coming days, our student leaders will stage a strong movement demanding college student union elections,” Ritabrata added. Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting.

His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.

Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.

Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.

Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.

Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.

Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India.

... Read More