West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ridiculed the BJP’s goal of securing over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, instead challenging the party to aim for at least 200 constituencies on Sunday.
Ms. Banerjee further declared her firm stance against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state.
She cautioned the public, warning that applying for the CAA could potentially classify an applicant as a foreigner, and urged them against submitting applications for it.
“The BJP is saying “400 paar”, I challenge them to cross the 200 seats benchmark first. In 2021 assembly polls, they gave a call of 200 plus seats but had to stop at 77,” she said.
“The CAA is a trap to turn legal citizens into foreigners. We would allow neither CAA nor NRC in West Bengal,” she said while addressing her first rally in the election season after her injury earlier this month.
Ms. Banerjee, the TMC supremo, criticized the opposition bloc INDIA partners, comprising the CPI(M) and Congress– for “joining hands with the BJP” in West Bengal.
“There is no INDIA alliance in West Bengal. The CPI(M) and Congress are working for the BJP in Bengal,” she said while addressing an election rally at Krishnanagar in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra.
“Our MP Mahua Moitra was maligned and expelled from the Lok Sabha as she was vocal against the BJP,” she added.