Mamata Banerjee Reaches Out to Congress, Other INDIA Allies in Key Speech

Trinamul Chieftain's Address Seen as Attempt to Mend Fences, Build Anti-BJP Unity

Nov 25, 2023 - 13:22
Mamata Banerjee Reaches Out to Congress, Other INDIA Allies in Key Speech
Mamata Banerjee addresses Trinamul leaders at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday

Several political watchers informed this newspaper that Mamata Banerjee appeared to be sending messages to the Congress and other members of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) throughout her speech on Thursday at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

The chairperson of the Trinamul Congress essentially repeated Rahul Gandhi's criticism of Narendra Modi over India's World Cup setback and supported party MP Mahua Moitra, who is renowned for adopting a combative stance against Gautam Adani.

In addition, she made no political attacks on the Congress.

On Thursday, Mamata spoke at a public meeting for the first time since her party's Martyrs' Day celebration on July 21. Similar to her 41-minute speech four months prior, she spent her entire 68 minutes speaking. In addition, she did so both as the chief minister of Bengal and as the head of the state's ruling party, but also as the principal leader of the recently established national alliance of anti-BJP parties.

Her attempt to reach out to other friends in India was interpreted by political analysts and party members as part of her address, and the messaging took on significance in the lead-up to the results of the Assembly elections in five states on December 3.

A Trinamul leader stated, "Didi (Mamata) is making the right noises in her outreach exercise with regard to INDIA, since the Congress is likely to do well in at least three of the five."

Her remarks would have calmed tensions in the national anti-BJP political arena ahead of the crucial general election that takes place the following year.

After playing a significant role in the earlier sessions in Patna and Bengaluru, a number of INDIA constituents claimed to have observed a "very different" Mamata at the September gathering of the bloc in Mumbai, according to an insider from Trinamul.

She knew that there were certain uncertainties in the INDIA space. He stated, "She wanted to allay those fears because she understood what the apprehensions meant."

A senior Trinamul MP, who grew up in the Congress alongside Mamata before to the party's creation in 1998, emphasized the significant INDIA or Congress components in Mamata's speech in addition to her backing of Moitra and her silence on the Grand Old Party.

She began by essentially echoing Rahul Gandhi's comment about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attendance at his own stadium in Ahmedabad during the men's ODI cricket World Cup final, which India lost to Australia. She used the term "paapishtho (sinners)" in place of "panauti," making references to both Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Second, she lamented the legacy of the Bofors scandal from the 1980s, which Rahul Gandhi's father and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was cleared of years after his murder. Being a part of the former prime minister's cabinet, Mamata was well-known for her close relationship with him.

Third, the leader of Trinamul had cherished memories of the time she and many of her old guard comrades spent being "beaten up" in the struggles of being in the opposition during Bengal's Left dictatorship while serving as leaders and workers of the Youth Congress or Congress.

Finally, she praised India. Fifth, she restated her view that the bloc should be named. Sixth, she made fun of Modi and the timidity of the saffron ecosystem for attempting to rename the country "Bharat" immediately following the creation of INDIA.

The MP claimed that the seventh was her overall display of faith in India's prospects in the general election.

Mamata had been adamantly supporting a pan-India coalition of opposition forces with equal distance from the BJP and the Congress up until the saffron regime's maneuvers earlier this year to have Rahul disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha. For this, she was receiving harsh criticism in the national opposition space. But since his persecution, she has significantly changed how untouchable she was with Rahul and his group.

The two gatherings of the national opposition in Patna and Bengaluru sped up the process of progress. Her apparent warmth towards Rahul, whom she referred to as "our favourite" at a joint press conference, and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, was particularly noteworthy, particularly in Bengaluru, the birthplace of INDIA.

According to sources, there are signs that Mamata may once more publicly represent her party in India rather than delegating the role to her nephew and presumed heir Abhishek Banerjee.

Major Indian voters had serious doubts about the motivations of a certain poll consultant that our party had previously employed. The nephew still views him seriously even if he has lost the aunt's favour, an insider from Trinamul claimed.

"Abhishek will keep representing the party in the committee for INDIA coordinating. However, he continued, "she will resume attending meetings and participating more actively in talks.

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