"Outsider" Jibes Return To Trinamool's Election Campaign Against BJP

The Trinamool launched a fresh "outsider" attack on the BJP in a new campaign ahead of the national elections and accused their leaders of resorting to "catcall" Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool's number 2, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dubbed the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a 'Bengalis vs outsiders' contest.

"Earlier, thieves used to go to jail, now they go to BJP, this is Modi's guarantee. On the other side is a woman, she still lives in a tin roof house and wears a hawai sandal. Who does Bengal want? Modi or Didi? Bengal's son of the soil or outsiders?" he told a massive rally in Kolkata.

Ms Banerjee is fondly referred to as Didi by her supporters as well as in the political circles.

The Trinamool has often targeted the BJP as an "anti-Bengal" party, especially after it expanded its base in West Bengal after the 2019 elections.

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The BJP had bagged 18 out of 42 seats in Bengal in the previous Lok Sabha polls, the highest it ever won in the eastern state. In the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the main opposition party with 77 seats, sidelining the CPM and the Congress.

The Trinamool today launched the 'Jonogoner Gorjon Bangla Birodhider Bisorjon' campaign, which translates to 'people demand the ouster of anti-Bengal forces' and highlights what the party believes are "anti-Bengal traits" of the BJP.

"They consistently demonstrated anti-Bengal attitude, deprived the people of Bengal of the basic necessities of roti, kapda, makaan, and misused power to suppress Bengal's voice," they said in an online post.

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The party accused the BJP-led government at the centre of conspiring against Bengal and that "Bangla Birodhi (anti-Bengal) traits are exhibited in each and every action of BJP."

"These past 10 years are witness to a consistent attempt by these overlords from outside Bengal, to malign the image of the state and its people through manufactured and often violent conspiracies," said the Trinamool.

It said Ms Banerjee continues to fight unfazed despite "catcalls" by BJP leaders and the people are determined to defeat them. "BJP leaders incessantly mock, insult and catcall Mamata Banerjee, the only female Chief Minister of the country. She, however, continues to fight unfazed for the people," the party said.