KOLKATA: Buoyed with its success in Manipur, where it emerged as the second largest party winning seven seats in the assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress Wednesday said it would aim to expand nationally in the coming days.
"All political parties have some aims and objectives when they are formed. We also have some objectives. Our party has a mission, vision and ideology. We want to expand nationally," Trinamool Congress national general secretary Mukul Roy told IANS.
Trinamool got about 18 percent of the votes in Manipur to finish as the main opposition in its maiden election in an northeastern state.
Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee has said in the past that her party had set a goal to blossom into a national political party.
According to Election Commission rules, if a political party is treated as a recognised political party in four or more states, it is deemed to be a national party.
The party retains the tag so long as it continues to fulfil the conditions for recognition in four or more states on the results of any subsequent general election or assembly poll.
Reacting to the Congress' rout in Uttar Pradesh, Roy said: "The Congress has lost its relevance in the state for over 20 years. So there is nothing surprising in its performance there."
On the Samajwadi Party (SP) returning to power in the crucial northern state after a five-year gap, Roy said that in recent years, the voters there had chosen either the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party, and at times the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"So in keeping with the trend, they have found merit in the SP," he said.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said Banerjee's message of peace and development has worked in Manipur.
"We are very happy. Trinamool and Mamatadi's message of development and peace has worked in Manipur," said O'Brien, a Rajya Sabha member.
"We have got 18 percent of the votes and seven seats in our first election in Manipur. This is good. Within a short time, Manipur voters have blessed us," he said.