West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written personal letters addressed to at least 10 non-BJP leaders including Congress President Sonia Gandhi stressing the need for a ‘united and effective struggle against BJP’s attacks on democracy and the constitution.’ The Trinamool chief said that coming together against the BJP would present a ‘credible alternative to the people of India.’
Banerjee, who is facing one of the biggest electoral challenges in the ongoing assembly polls, also highlighted the ‘assaults’ by the BJP and its government on democracy and constitutional federalism of India.
She said in her extraordinary letter, “I am writing this letter to you, and to several leaders of non-BJP parties, to convey my serious concerns over a series of assaults by the BJP and its government at the Centre on democracy and constitutional federalism in India.”
Banerjee’s party released her letter just before the second phase of assembly polls that will decide the fate of Bengal Chief Minister, who’s pitted against her former aide Suvendu Adhikari. In her ltter, Banerjee also sought to drum up support from opposition leaders by stating how non-BJP states have suffered due to the saffron party-led Centre’s actions.
In a reference to the recently passed National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill by the two Houses of Parliament, the firebrand Trinamool leader said that the development was ‘extremely grave.’
“With this law, the BJP government at the Centre has snatched away practically all the powers of the democratically elected government of Delhi, and vested them in the hands of the Lt Governor, a nominee of the Centre. The Lt Governor has been made the undeclared Viceroy of Delhi, acting as a proxy for the home minister and the prime minister,” news agency PTI quoted Banerjee as saying.
Among those addressed in her three-page letter includes Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, NCP”s Sharad Pawar, DMK”s MK Stalin, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD”s Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena”s Uddhav Thackeray.
Bengal goes to polls in eight stages with the first phase of voting having taken place on 27 March. The counting of votes will take place on 2 May.