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Updated November 2nd, 2021 at 21:08 IST

'Mamata Banerjee could have joined BJP, was part of Vajpayee govt too': Sandeep Dikshit

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday took a dig at WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that she was once a minister in the NDA government

Reported by: Swagata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee
Image: ANI | Image:self
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Ahead of the 2022 Goa assembly elections, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday took a dig at WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her claim that Congress is compromising with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that Banerjee was a minster in the NDA government led by late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Dikshit also stated that had the WB CM been on good terms with current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she would have joined his government as well. 

Speaking to ANI, Dikshit said, "(Arvind) Kejriwal and Mamata are going together. Their aim is to weaken the Congress party. Mamata Banerjee herself was a minister in the Vajpayee government. Do not teach us who is with BJP and who is not. She does not have good relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, otherwise she would have joined them (BJP) as well."

After starting her political career with the Indian National Congress in the 1970s, Mamata Banerjee served as the Railway Minister when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004.

Mamata Banerjee Slams Congress

On 30 October, Mamata Banerjee slammed Congress, accusing the party of not taking politics seriously. Addressing a group of media persons in Goa on the last day of her three-day visit, the West Bengal Chief Minister also fumed at Congress for contesting against her in West Bengal. 

“I cannot say everything right now because they didn’t take politics seriously. Modiji is going to be more powerful because of the Congress. If one cannot take decision, why the country should suffer for that? They (Congress) got opportunity (in the past). Instead of fighting against BJP, they contested against me in my state (sic)," Banerjee said. 

"I want that the regional parties should be strong. We want that the federal structure should be strong. We should make states strong, if states are strong, then the Centre will be strong. Delhi ka dadagiri amka naka (We don’t want Delhi’s bullying), enough is enough (sic),” the TMC chief added.

TMC enters Goa politics

TMC stepped up its election campaign after deciding to field its candidates on all 40 seats in Goa. In the last few weeks, many posters featuring the TMC supremo's photo and the slogan 'Gonychi Navi Sakal' (Goa's new dawn) have been put across the state. On 29 September, former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro joined Mamata Banerjee-led party along with ex-MGP MLA Lavoo Mamledar, Congress general secretaries Yatish Naik and Vijay Poi, Congress Secretaries Mario Pinto De Santana and Anand Naik, poet Shivdas Sonu Naik, South Goa Advocates Association president Antonio Monteiro Clovis Da Costa and Rajendra Kakodkar.

Subsequently, hundreds of other Congress leaders have joined the party. In another development, Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar has extended support to TMC. Incensed by the growing political capital of the Mamata Banerjee-led party, Congress recently accused TMC of indirectly helping BJP by dividing the secular votes. During the WB CM's three-day visit to Goa which concluded on 30 October, veteran Bollywood actor Nafisa Ali and Tennis legend Leander Paes joined TMC. 

(With Inputs from ANI)

Image: ANI

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Published November 2nd, 2021 at 21:08 IST

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