April 27, 13.10 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
Terming the challenge posed by the Congress-CPI(M) as 'T-shirt' poll alliance, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Wednesday said Mamata Banerjee will return as chief minister of the Eastern state as Didi's sarkar will see second innings on the back of 'comfortable'
majority.
Speaking at Aaj Tak's Panchayat - Paschim Bengal event, O'Brien claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to understand 'Bengal' while stating that the nondescript Suryakanta Mishra, the
chief ministerial face of the Congress-CPI(M) alliance will '200%' lose his seat at Narayangarh in West Midnapore district. "If he doesn't lose, I will shave my head," O'Brien quipped, sending the
audience into peals of laughter.
"There are 3 alternatives in these polls but Didi is the only leader in Bengal. If you are talking about communal harmony, Bengal is the place to be. When you cannot hold Ghulam Ali concert or India-Pakistan match anywhere in India, you come to Bengal. Industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Yogi Deveshwar have talked about the state is the best to be. These businessmen mean business, they have not come here to play ludo," O'Brien said in an interactive session with India Today Managing Editor Rahul Kanwal.
Tearing into the Congress-CPI(M) alliance, he said: "This is a T-shirt and pajama alliance. You change T-shirt and pajamas every day. These two parties change their ways every single day. Kerala mein kushti and Bengal mein dosti? Everybody can see what they are up to."
Talking about the pre-poll controversial Narada sting that purportedly caught some TMC leaders taking bribe, O'Brien said: "We are conducting an internal enquiry on it. There could be external factors also...it is a sub judice matter. Let the court do its job. It is not right for me to comment on the matter."
"There is a perception problem. We have to address this issue that is plaguing TMC and Bengal. Didi has delivered clean governance. For four and half years, we have given development or vikas. Look at Kolkata and outside of the city, there is development. An atmosphere of political blackmailing has been created. People will deliver their verdict on May 19," O'Brien said.
On the controversial issue of 'syndicate', the TMC leader said: "Didi herself has talked about how we don't support any syndicates. But a perception is there. Corruption is a national issue and not a
Trinamool Congress matter only but something that all parties, BJP and Congress, should talk about."