Trinamul's "Jonogorjon Rally" to Launch General Election Campaign

Party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Sunday that Trinamul will begin its general election campaign with a "Jonogorjon (people's roar) Rally" at the Brigade Parade Grounds on March 10. Banerjee challenged the BJP to host a comparable event if it could.

Days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned rallies in Bengal on March 1, 2, and 8 (rescheduled from March 6)—which are anticipated to serve as the catalyst for the BJP's Bengal campaign—an announcement has been made.

Abhishek hinted to a Trinamul plan to defuse the political tempest around Sandeshkhali, which the BJP predicts would be Mamata Banerjee's Waterloo, and refocus public attention on the "real" problems.

"Some individuals seated in Delhi are attempting to incite turmoil and light a fire in Bengal in order to keep Sandeshkhali in the headlines. He said, "How many times have you broadcast the farmers' protests on television?"

The Trinamul Number Two spoke in Maheshtala in the evening, "We have called for this event on March 10 — which will be historic — because there is this ongoing conspiracy to deprive Bengal of its rightful dues for two years now."

"Funds owed to Bengal under the MGNREGA, Awas Yojana, Gram Sadak Yojana, midday meals, and numerous other schemes have been discontinued by the Center."

In order to address the matter, Abhishek said that his aunt, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has met with Modi many times.

The March 10 event is precisely the kind of effort that Trinamul officials, workers, and fans had been waiting for. They had seen the party's election campaign beginning being delayed by a succession dispute that was mirrored in an old-versus-new argument.

"The BJP has been absent from Bengal for the last 2.5 years, but they are returning with their deceptive tactics just before elections are scheduled to be declared. For this reason, Abhishek said, "We refer to them as bohiragawto (outsiders), Bangla-birodhi (anti-Bengal), and jomidar (feudal lords).

The purpose of the public gathering on March 10th is to express opposition to the anti-Bengal action of withholding our dues. A trailer for Banglar gorjon, or Bengal's roar, must be shown to the bohiragawto and the Bangla-birodhi. During the elections, they will watch the whole movie.

The language implies that Trinamul would revive the winning leitmotif of its 2021 Assembly election campaign—a daughter of the land against roving bands of anti-Bengal outsiders—in addition to using the claimed central deprivation as a main poll platform.

In addition, Abhishek discussed a Swanirbhor Bangla (self-sufficient Bengal) headed by Trinamul, which is a clear refutation of Modi's claim that Atmanirbhar Bharat, the prime minister's slogan, and "double-engine governments" (BJP-led administrations at the federal and state levels) are essential to growth.

"We are going to make this state self-sufficient in the next few years, without any assistance from Delhi." Rather, politicians from Delhi will come to us to ask for our assistance," he said. "Bengal's funds were stopped immediately after the election of 18 (BJP) MPs in 2019 because these elected BJP leaders wrote to the Center advocating for an economic blockade of Bengal."

The saffron movement was challenged by the Diamond Harbour MP to hold a counter-event as grandiose to the Brigade protest. "If you have the organizational hold or on-the-ground strength, I say to those who only make tall claims that you should try doing a matching counter-event at the same venue on March 11 or 12," he added.

March 1, 2, and 8 will see Modi speak at rallies in Arambagh, Krishnanagar, and Barasat, respectively. The BJP is hoping to improve on its 2019 performance in all three of these Lok Sabha seats.

On March 8, International Women's Day, Modi is expected to address the Sandeshkhali women who have accused local Trinamul officials of torturing them during the Barasat gathering.

As prime minister, Narendra Modi is allowed to go anywhere he pleases. However, has he convened any gatherings for the benefit of the residents of Arambagh, Barasat, or Krishnanagar after the 2021 Assembly elections? Abhishek enquired. Why do they only start their operations just before elections? His main motivation for arriving is power. Does this imply that he doesn't think our people's lives are valuable?

Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamul Congress, on Sunday afternoon at Maheshtala, South 24-Parganas
via The Telegraph
It seemed from Abhishek's comments that additional groups were welcome to attend the event on March 10.

"Anyone who feels this way is welcome to join our event on March 10th, since we are battling against the BJP-led Center's deprivation of Bengal and this anti-Bengal attitude. Any business or individual may join the battle, regardless of politics, gender, caste, creed, or religion, the MP said.

Abhishek took aim at the BJP for a number of problems, including the deactivation of Aadhaar cards for certain Bengali residents, which was allegedly done as a prelude to the controversial citizenship matrix being implemented, and some BJP officials' alleged "Khalistani" remarks directed against a Sikh IPS officer.

Regarding Sandeshkhali, Abhishek said that managing the problem surrounding Sheikh Shahjahan is not particularly difficult for a party that has taken action against individuals like as Partha Chatterjee and Jyoti Priya Mallick, two prominent Trinamul leaders who have been arrested.

Concerning a potential trip to Sandeshkhali, he said, "We'll go when the time is appropriate." Unlike the BJP and the CPM, we don't want to go to the region and cause political unrest. "Why can't BJP leaders go to Sandeshkhali on the same day?" Abhishek continued. Only because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered that the Sandeshkhali issue be kept alive till March 8 while he is in Bengal.

"I'm going to Sandeshkhali after the Brigade event. I will wait for things to improve and don't think it is wise to call a meeting there at this time.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.