Kolkata: As voting was underway for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal and eight other states on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi created a sensation by claiming that 40 legislators of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul are in touch with him and will change camp as soon as the results are announced on May 23.
West Bengal’s ruling party dismissed his claim and asked if he was campaigning for an election or horse trading.
Launching an attack on Ms Banerjee at a rally in Sreerampore, Hooghly, Mr Modi said, “Didi, on May 23, when the results will be declared, the lotus will bloom everywhere and your MLAs will leave you. Even today, Didi, 40 of your MLAs are in contact with me.”
Stunning Ms Banerjee with her worst fear of facing revolt in her party, Mr Modi also resolved to wipe out her party “drop by drop” from the state.
He said that that Delhi would remain a distant dream for her with “a handful of MPs” and before he mocked her aspiration as an “excuse” to help her nephew — Trinamul MP Abhishek Banerjee — to succeed her in the state.
Describing Ms Banerjee as a “betrayer”, he said her survival is difficult. “Your survival is difficult now because you have broke the people’s trust. You would not find a place to flee to.” He added, “The youth will make you pay the price of your betrayal. “Choope Chaap Kamal Chhap; Boond Boond Se TMC Saaf!”
Trinamul’s parliamentary leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, rubbished Mr Modi’s claim.
“Expiry Babu PM. Nobody will go with you, not even one councillor. Are you election campaigning or horse trading, your expiry date is near. Today, we are complaining to Election Commission.
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