West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee used her July 21 rally in Kolkata to make a strong appeal for opposition unity, calling on all political parties that are genuinely opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to come together and fight collectively in the state.
A big gathering at the Birla Planetarium, Banerjee said Bengal’s political parties must unite against the BJP and prepare for the next electoral battle. Her comments showed the Trinamool Congress is open to working with the INDIA bloc and other opposition parties to build a bigger political alliance in West Bengal.
"I’m telling all political parties in Bengal that are genuinely against the BJP to unite and get ready,” Banerjee said in front of the gathering.
The Chief Minister said that the Trinamool Congress has relations with various political parties outside the INDIA bloc and said that in the coming days there would be efforts to bring different opposition forces together.
She said the parties would try to fight together in Bengal and added that even if a broader alliance could not be formed, the INDIA bloc would continue to fight politically.
Banerjee's assertions are important in the background of ongoing discussions of opposition unity. Although the Trinamool Congress is still a key component of the INDIA alliance at its national level, political equations in West Bengal are quite different from those in other parts of the country.
The TMC chief also said she would visit the ongoing protest led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP. The group has been protesting over education issues, examination irregularities and the treatment of student protesters.
Banerjee also launched a sharp attack on what she called the “new Trinamool,” and criticised individuals and groups that she claimed were indirectly supporting the BJP.
“If you want to be the BJP’s pillow, then go and join the BJP,” she said in a pointed political remark.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the huge turnout at the July 21 rally and said that party supporters and rally organisers should be cautious to prevent overcrowding. She said lakhs of people had descended on the venue and that people should be alert.
Banerjee also alleged that attempts had been made to disrupt preparations for the rally at night. She claimed that the stage was damaged around 10 pm and that sound cables were cut. She also claimed that a large group of motorcyclists arrived at the site and similar disruptions took place later in the night.
As Banerjee said, senior party leaders and workers such as Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Mahua Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee, Upasana and Dola Sen all remained involved in efforts to maintain and restore the arrangements.
She said police were repeatedly informed during the disturbances but did not arrive quickly. But Banerjee said she would appeal to her supporters not to attack the police, because she had worked with the police in her political life.
The TMC leader said the disturbances were part of a plan to create unrest during the night and that she was aware of who had allegedly instigated the disturbances at that time.
Banerjee’s speech made a new call for anti-BJP unity and harsh criticism of the BJP and groups she said were in cahoots with it. She will have to be at the helm of discussion on the future of the opposition coordination in West Bengal and the possibility of a wider alliance ahead of elections later on.
