Amid Row Over Unpaid Funds, Trinamool's Swipe At PM's 'Mann Ki Baat' Show

Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast and said while its 100th episode was celebrated with great fanfare, the poor masses of Bengal were deprived of Central funds under the 100-day MGNREGA scheme.

"On one hand PM is busy doing 100 Mann Ki Baat episodes while people in Bengal are deprived of 100-day work money," the Trinamool General Secretary said.

"People are failing to get Roti and Bhaat (chapati and rice) while PM is conducting the Mann ki Baat programme," Abhishek Banerjee added.

The Trinamool Congress has launched a movement to collect signatures to put pressure on the Centre to release unpaid funds.

The Trinamool is looking to channel rural discontent over non-payment of dues against the BJP in the upcoming panchayat elections.
The BJP says funds have been withheld due to corruption.

"I walked all the way from Karandighi Krishak Mandi, covering almost 700 metres. People queued up in large numbers to show support. This is a testament to the fact that Hon'ble CM @MamataOfficial has delivered on her promises." the Trinamool said in a tweet.

Abhishek Banerjee, who is widely seen as the No. 2 in the Trinamool, has been on a mass outreach programme across the state.

Every night, the party will hold district-level sessions, allowing people to share their views and voice their concerns on panchayat election candidates through referendums.

On Sunday, Mr Banerjee, while addressing a rally at Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, had claimed that the Trinamool will win not less than 240 seats in the next assembly elections.

"From 184 seats in 2011 assembly polls, we got 211 seats in 2016. It went up to 213 seats in the 2021 elections. And keep in mind, TMC will not get less than 240 seats in the 2026 polls. The more the BJP's conspiracy against us grows using its agencies, the more our seats will go up, with people resisting their gameplan," he said.

Abhishek Banerjee's comments are being seen as counter to Home Minister Amit Shah who claimed that if the BJP won 35 seats in the parliamentary elections of 2024, the BJP would not need the 2026 assembly elections to dislodge the Trinamool government in West Bengal.

Last month, Mr Shah also outlined the BJP's target in Bengal for the 2024 elections. He said the BJP would win 35 of the state's 42 parliamentary seats, which he claimed would be enough to topple the Mamata Banerjee government in the state.

"Give us 35 seats in 2024 and the Mamata Banerjee government will be out. There is corruption in Bengal. And only the BJP can stop it," Mr Shah said while addressing a rally in Suri in Birbhum district .