KOLKATA: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday said that the party will win 250 seats in the next assembly elections if the BJP-led Centre "committed the mistake" of imposing President's rule in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress national general secretary slammed the Centre over rising prices of fuel, essential items and life-saving drugs, and mocked it for waving off taxes on movies to "serve its vested political interests".
"The BJP wants to impose President's rule in West Bengal. I ask them to go ahead. Despite their high-pitch campaign during 2021 assembly polls, we bagged 213 seats.
"If they dare impose President's rule and elections are held again, we will win 250 constituencies. This is my challenge," the Diamond Harbour MP said while campaigning for party candidate Babul Supriyo in Ballygunge assembly seat, where by-polls will be held on April 12.
His assertion came in the backdrop of several BJP leaders demanding the imposition of President's rule in the state following the Birbhum killings, in which nine people died after their houses were set on fire by assailants who threw petrol bombs, in a suspected retaliation to the murder of local TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh, which happened hours before.
Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had stormed to power for the third consecutive term, bagging 213 seats.
In contrast, despite its high-pitch campaign, the BJP managed to win only 77 seats in the 294-member House.
"Look at the current state of the country. From inflation to violence against women, the situation is grim. In 2019, price of a litre of petrol was Rs 75, now it costs Rs 115.
"When the BJP lost the West Bengal elections, it reduced petrol price by Rs 5 but when it won the Uttar Pradesh polls, petrol prices were hiked 15 times in the last 13 days. Diesel prices are also increasing exponentially and are likely to cross Rs 100 per litre by tomorrow," Abhishek Banerjee, the chief minister's nephew, said.
The Lok Sabha MP said that the Centre, on one hand, has increased the prices of life-saving drugs, showing its "insensitivity", while on the other the BJP has waived off taxes on films to serve its "political interests".
He said that the TMC will continue its nationwide expansion drive and never surrender to the BJP, "unlike the Congress and Left".
Banerjee said the TMC will fight elections in Tripura and Meghalaya next year, and also expand its footprint to other states.
Noting that central agencies have summoned him several times, he said "such threats" will not deter him from working for the masses.
"We won't cow down before threats, unlike the Left and Congress. Not a day passes by when Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, doesn't attack Mamata Banerjee. The LoP in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, is also doing the same. They have joined hands in the state," he said.
Speaking on the Sri Lanka crisis, he said India too has incurred huge debt in the last seven years of BJP rule.
"Sri Lanka is in an emergency situation as it has incurred huge debt. The situation in India is also not good as the BJP government has increased the debt burden since it came to power in 2014.
The TMC has nominated Supriyo, a former BJP MP who joined the Trinamool Congress last year for by-polls to the Ballygunge constituency which fell vacant after the death of state minister Subrata Mukherjee, who represented the constituency.