Mamata Banerjee Calls for Unified Opposition Against BJP in Lok Sabha Elections

On Saturday, Mamata Banerjee said that if opposition parties waged a "all-out fight" in every state in the union, the BJP would not be unbeatable.

"I'm going to give it my all to defeat the BJP and win the Lok Sabha elections." Jeettey hobey (we must win), kheltey hobey (we must play in the game). "The BJP can be defeated if political parties, both national and regional as well as frontal organizations, fight the BJP in the same spirit (like ours) in all the states across the country," Mamata declared as she concluded her 48-hour sit-in protest against the government of Narendra Modi for allegedly denying Bengal its rights.

The frontal organizations of Trinamul will persist in their sit-in.

"If the BJP thinks they are invincible, I'd like to remind them that no one stays in power forever," Mamata said.

On a day when Yogendra Yadav, an activist who participated in Mamata's sit-in, encouraged her to lead the Opposition bloc by uniting all the non-BJP parties under one platform, Mamata issued a clear demand for all parties to mount a "all-out fight".

"Amar apotti nei (I have no objections)" was Mamata's first statement before outlining what she expected from other organizations and parties.

Yadav's appeal, which was recently seen with Congressman Rahul Gandhi, gained importance when Mamata wrote to the Congress stating that Trinamul and the Grand Old Party will not form an alliance in Bengal, despite her commitment to INDIA.

Mamata has been communicating over the last several days that Trinamul would challenge the BJP on its own in all 42 seats in Bengal. Talks over seat sharing have started between the Left and the Congress in Bengal.

According to a Trinamul insider, the Left and the Congress's coalition talks are positive for Bengal's governing party since they would divide anti-Trinamul votes.

"Didi is unwilling to work with the Congress. Just keep in mind what she said yesterday," the Trinamul source added, alluding to Mamata's remarks from Friday in which she questioned if the Congress would win "40 seats" throughout the nation.

In recent months, things had not been going well between Trinamul and the Congress. However, when Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Bengal without "informing" Mamata, the relations took a further hit.

A person close to Mamata questioned, "What stopped him (Rahul) from writing to her directly or calling her up on the Yatra?" "This is political immaturity.... The Congress could have handled the Yatra in Bengal differently."

Unlike its Bengal branch, the Congress central leadership remained controlled throughout the Bengal leg of the Yatra, even in the face of administrative resistance and frequent taunts directed towards Rahul by Mamata and other Trinamul officials. Congress's top communications officer, Jairam Ramesh, shown prudence when questioned on Friday over Mamata's skepticism regarding his party's capacity to gain seats. "We presume that Mamata Banerjee remains a member of the INDIA bloc, which consists of 27 political parties. She says that fighting the BJP is her first concern. Combating the BJP is also our top goal. "I believe that unity is preferable," Ramesh said to PTI.