After defeat in West Bengal elections, Mamata Banerjee urges opposition unity, calls for ‘joint platform’ against BJP. india news
New Delhi: East Chief Minister of West Bengal And All India Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday appealed to opposition parties and student unions in the state to unite against BJP The saffron party formed its first government in West Bengal after its decisive victory in the recently concluded assembly elections.She was addressing a small gathering outside her Kalighat residence on the birth anniversary of Rabindranath TagoreThe former chief minister called for the formation of a “joint platform” against the BJP and urged student unions and NGOs opposing the party to come together, news agency PTI reported.
“I call on all opposition parties, including the Left and ultra-Left, to come together to form a joint platform against the BJP,” Banerjee said. He also invited national parties to join this initiative.The All India Trinamool Congress chief said he was willing to hold talks with any political party interested in discussing the matter. He said, “This is not the time to think that the enemy of the enemy is my friend, our first enemy is the BJP.”Banerjee also alleged that TMC workers and supporters were facing attacks in various parts of the state after the election results were declared.He claimed, “Hooliganism is going on everywhere, bad elements have entered their (BJP) camps.” He said that after coming to power in 2011, his government did not allow atrocities against anyone.In the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, BJP won 207 seats, while TMC won 80 seats.Earlier in the day, Suvendu Adhikari and five BJP MLAs took oath at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states.