‘Modi more powerful because of Congress:’ Mamata rules out Goa alliance

The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday slammed the Congress for making Prime Minister Narendra Modi “more powerful” and appeared to rule out any possibility of an alliance ahead of the Goa assembly election next year.

During a two-day trip to the state, where she hopes to make electoral inroads, Banerjee accused the Congress of failing to recognise the need for the opposition to unite against the BJP and underlined the importance of regional parties to counter the ruling party and strengthen India’s federal structure.

“Modiji is going to be more powerful because of the Congress… because the Congress is the BJP’s TRP [television ratings points]. If they [the Congress] cannot take a decision… the country will suffer. Why [should] the country suffer… they have had enough opportunity,” she said.

In Goa to campaign for the Trinamool – and hold talks with Vijay Sardesai’s Goa Forward Party – ex ally of the ruling BJP – Banerjee mentioned the April-May election in West Bengal.

The Congress had then turned down a chance to ally with the Trinamool, opting instead to work with the Left and the Indian Secular Front. State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had said:“There will not be any BJP or Trinamool… only the grand alliance will remain.”

“Instead of contesting against the BJP they [the Congress] contested against me in Bengal… the morning shows the day, don’t you think? They contest against me… my party. What do you think. We will give flowers to them?” Banerjee said.

“I am not going to discuss about the Congress because that is not my party. I have a regional party without any support. And we are fortunate to form a government with the people’s support. I will not talk about any other party. Let them decide.

“We want to give seats to regional parties… I want to see regional parties become strong. And we want a union of states. The federal structure should be strong… every state must be strong. And if every state is strong, then the Centre will also be strong,” she said.