KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a debate before the Lok Sabha elections.
"Modi has never addressed the Press in his five years. I urge him to at least sit with me in a debate this poll season.”
Mamata said she was willing to solve the Kashmir issue.
“We need to take Kashmiris into confidence. I wish to visit J&K and understand their need. I have solved Maoist insurgency and Gorkhaland issue. I also wanted to go to Kandahar to bring back our stranded Indian passengers but the government did not allow me”, she said.
Mamata also predicted it will be difficult for BJP to win 135 seats.
“BJP had 21 seats of 193 in south India, Odisha and West Bengal in 2014 and has no major ally now. In 80 UP seats, the Mahagathbandhan drawing 40% votes will leave 20-25 seats to BJP. It will do worse in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh where it lost the Assemblies.”
Meanwhile, Mamata dismissed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against her government, saying “he is just a kid”.
Gandhi at last week’s rally in Malda charged both Modi and the Trinamool of failing to fulfil their promises.