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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati today dismissed any possibility of their supporting a probable Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
Banerjee at an election rally in Berhampore and Mayawati in Lucknow nearly echoed each other in rejecting speculation that either of them could support a Modi-led government.
On Thursday, Modi had told Times Now that despite the harsh words exchanged between him and some potential allies among regional parties there was still a window open that Mayawati, Banerjee and Tamilnadu CM J Jayalalithaa could support an NDA government.
There wasn’t any reaction from Chennai but both Mayawati and Banerjee, still in the middle of the electoral battle, reacted strongly to Modi’s statement. Of the 41-seats that poll in the ninth and last phase of elections, as many as 18-seats in UP and 17 in Bengal will go to polls on May 12.
Significantly, Banerjee talked only about not supporting a Modi-led government. The West Bengal CM accused the Congress of not having put up a strong fight against BJP as it lacked guts and was playing a fixed match with Modi.
Banerjee had fought the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the Congress but this time Trinamool has gone alone. "Had I been in Delhi in place of Congress, I would have sent Narendra Modi to jail by tying a rope around his waist," she said. Murshidabad is a Congress stronghold.
Banerjee also hit out again at the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate for his remark that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants would be sent packing after May 1."The people will have a feast and you all be driven away from the country after May 16. Minority brothers and sisters have you not heard that you will be driven out after May 16?" Banerjee asked.
Taunting Modi she said: "I tell you, get ready with your baggage. When counting is over people of Bengal will drive you out.” Banerjee blamed the Congress and CPI (M) for the rise of BJP. She said even if Modi became the PM he has no right to bypass the state government on the issue of immigration, which was a law and order subject.
On Thursday, at a rally in Bengal, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had reached out to Banerjee. He had said how Congress and Trinamool had good relations until recently. Trinamool had walked out of the UPA government on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail.
In Lucknow, Mayawati said her party will not support an NDA government at the Centre. She said BJP conspired against her when the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre initiated disproportionate assets cases against her. Mayawati was more direct in her reasons for not supporting Modi. She said Modi was “communal” and supporting his government won’t be fair on her Muslim supporters.
