News Analysis India

Tag: Trinamool Congress

  • West Bengal minister and senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee passes away

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Senior Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee died after prolonged illness at a state-run hospital in Kolkata on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

    Mukherjee, who was the state panchayat minister, was 75.

    The chief minister visited the SSKM Hospital and announced that he passed away late this evening.

    “I still can’t believe he is no longer with us. He was such a dedicated party leader. It is a personal loss for me,” she said. Mukherjee was shifted to the ICU of the hospital last week after he complained of severe breathing problems, sources at the medical facility said.

  • Tennis legend Leander Paes meets Mamata Banerjee, joins Trinamool Congress

    By Online Desk

    Tennis legend Leander Paes on Friday met Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and joined the party. 

    The party on Twitter officially announced the news.

    Paes is one of the Indian greats of the Tennis sport, having won the singles Olympic medal, 18-time Grand Slam Champion and seven Time Olympian.

    “We are extremely delighted to share that Shri  @Leander  joined us today in the presence of our Hon’ble Chairperson  @MamataOfficial !

    “Together, we shall ensure that every single person in this nation sees the Dawn of Democracy that we have been waiting for since 2014!” it said.

    We are extremely delighted to share that Shri @Leander joined us today in the presence of our Hon’ble Chairperson @MamataOfficial!Together, we shall ensure that every single person in this nation sees the Dawn of Democracy that we have been waiting for since 2014!
    — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) October 29, 2021

  • Congress limited to Twitter space, not bothered about building strong Opposition alliance: TMC mouthpiece

    The editorial clarified that the TMC would continue to bolster its strength, while keeping the “doors of alliance with the Congress open”.

  • TMC MLA Madan Mitra threatens to chop off wrists of land-sharks trying to grab playground

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A ruling Trinamool Congress MLA has threatened to chop off the wrists of alleged land-sharks attempting to grab a playground in his assembly constituency in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

    Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra, however, later apologised for the comment.

    The former state sports minister claimed that some people owing allegiance to his party were trying to construct an apartment complex on Meghnad Math in Belgharia area.

    “Some criminals are trying to do illegal construction on the playground, which I along with local MP Saugata Roy were planning to beautify. The names of three people are recurringly cropping up. They are under my surveillance. I will lodge an FIR, and if the police don’t take action, I will launch a people’s movement to save the ground.

    “If they think they can threaten or buy me, they are wrong. This is my last warning to them. If they dare even lay a finger on the ground, I will sever their wrists from their hands. If needed, I will go to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and tell her how some people are misusing the party’s name,” Mitra said in a Facebook live on Saturday night.

    Naihati TMC MLA Partha Bhowmick supported Mitra, saying that being a “mass leader”, the former minister was pained at attempts to take away the rights of children to the playground.

    “However, he shouldn’t have used words as severing someone’s wrist from hand,” Bhowmick told reporters.

    Responding to Bhowmick, Mitra, in another Facebook live, apologised for the words but not for the intent.

    “I withdraw such words as I understand that we are the ruling party and we should show some restraint but such people only understand such language. The land-sharks in Belgharia are more dangerous than those in Bhowmick’s constituency. There were 63 large tanks in Belgharia but land-sharks have filled up 30 such water bodies and constructed apartments on them,” he said.

    Former Kamarhati MLA Manas Mukherjee said he is ready to extend all help to Mitra if he wishes to launch a movement to restore playgrounds.

  • Attack on federal structure of India: Trinamool Congress on Centre extending BSF’s jurisdiction

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Hitting out at the Centre over its decision to extend the jurisdiction of the BSF, the Trinamool Congress on Thursday said it was an “infringement” on the rights of the state and an attack on the federal structure of the country.

    The Centre has amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

    Demanding its withdrawal, the TMC claimed the decision was taken without consulting the West Bengal government. “We oppose this decision. This is an infringement on the rights of the state. What was the sudden need to enhance the BSF’s jurisdiction without informing the state government?” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

    “If the BSF has to conduct any search, they can always do it along with the state police. This has been the practice for years. It is an attack on the federal structure,” he added. Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy alleged that the BSF doesn’t have a good track record on human rights in border villages.

    “The Centre and Home Minister Amit Shah are trying to weaken the states. BSF doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to human rights in border villages,” he said.

    The expansion of #BSF area of jurisdiction upto 50 km from border of some states amounts to brazen infringement upon the territory of states.@HMOIndia , you should not indulge any ‘Chherkhani’ else will face the consequences.
    — Adhir Chowdhury (@adhirrcinc) October 14, 2021
    State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury warned the Union Home Ministry of “consequences” over the move. “The expansion of #BSF area of jurisdiction upto 50 km from border of some states amounts to brazen infringement upon the territory of states. @HMOIndia (Home Ministry), you should not indulge any ‘Chherkhani’ (meddling) else will face the consequences,” he said in a tweet.

    The state BJP slammed the TMC for its criticism, saying that its opposition to the changes is aimed at appeasing its vote bank. “The TMC government has failed to check cross-border infiltration and smuggling. The TMC’s opposition is aimed at appeasing its vote bank,” said Sayantan Basu, the BJP’s state general secretary.

    The Union Home Ministry issued a notification in this context on October 11, amending a July 2014 enabling provision for the BSF personnel and officers while they operate in the border areas.

    BSF officials said the amendment will help them in effectively curbing trans-border crimes and the new amendment brings in “uniformity” for its operations in the borders states of Punjab, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Assam where it can now operate within 50 km area from the border.

    In Gujarat, which shares border with Pakistan, the same limit has been reduced from 80 km to 50 km, while in Rajasthan, it has been kept unchanged at 50 km.

  • TMC’s Hossain wins Jangipur by a massive margin of 92,480 votes, as party sweeps by-polls

    By PTI

    KOLKATA/BERHAMPORE: After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s expected landslide victory from Bhabanipur assembly constituency, TMC candidates in Samserganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district notched impressive wins with TMC’s Jakir Hossain winning Jangipur by a massive margin of 92,480 votes.

    Jangipur’s Trinamool Congress nominee Jakir Hossain secured some 1,36,444 votes, while his nearest rival, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sujit Das, polled 43,964 votes in a one-sided electoral battle.

    Hossain was declared victorious with a margin of 92,480 votes.

    Except Jane Alam Mian of Revolutionary Socialist Party, no other candidate reached four figures.

    In Samserganj, TMC candidate Amirul Islam won by a margin of 26,379 votes.

    He secured 96,417 votes, while his nearest rival, Zaidur Rahaman of the Congress, got 70,038.

    Murshidabad was earlier seen as a Congress stronghold.

    TMC’s victories in all assembly constituencies of the district places the Congress in a difficult position in the state of West Bengal.

  • Goa elections: Will TMC’s re-entry in state with ex-CM Faleiro’s induction alter its political landscape?

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: After Trinamool Congress’ resounding victory in Bengal elections this May, Mamata Banerjee’s party has decided to re-enter Goa’s political landscape by inducting former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro.

    However, this is not TMC’s first attempt. It had tried in 2012 too but miserably failed and lost its deposit of all its 20 candidates in the 40 members of Goa state assembly.

    In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls too, TMC candidate Churchill Alemao polled only 11,941 votes in South Goa Lok Sabha constituency against BJP’s Narendra Modi who got 1,98,776 votes.

    TMC is likely to be formally announced its official entry into Goa politics on Monday with Faleiro scheduling a press meet.

    In the last couple of months, the party has also increased its activities by inducting several leaders, including bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes, former AAP convenor in Goa, and former East Bengal footballer Alvito D’Cunha, who had supported the TMC’s election campaign in West Bengal ahead of Assembly polls in May.

    Girish Chodankar, President of the Goa Congress party says that Luizinho Faleiro joining TMC will not change the politics of Goa.

    “In fact, Luizinho Faleiro was losing popularity in his constituency. He was not sure about his victory in upcoming state polls, therefore, changed the party to change the narrative he joined the TMC. However, that will not make any difference to us. It will only eat anti-incumbency vote but we are confident of coming to power this time,” Chodankar opined.

    Sumi Naik, a senior journalist based in Goa said that the state’s political market is already crowded with national and regional parties.

    “TMC wants to create its base ahead of Goa state assembly polls. It has a big challenge to create its own space. The reason there is no such natural traction to TMC in Goa. Earlier TMC tried twice but could not succeed. Besides, it has very limited time to expand the party base. Former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro can win one or two seats maximum,” Naik said.

    However, Faleiro said that the women power will win Goa. He said that Mamata Banerjee symbolizes women power and in Goa also more than 40 per cent are voters.

    “We are confident of winning as many as seats in Goa,” he added.

    Commenting on TMC’s entry into the state, Goa CM Pramod Sawant said he would welcome such parties with utmost ‘hospitality’ as the state is known for its tourism.

    “We will welcome these political parties….we are sure they will enjoy the Goa’s hospitality and then go back,” Sawant said.

  • Goa witnessing political carnival, says Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut after TMC, AAP enter poll fray

    By PTI

    PANAJI: With the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) throwing their hats in Goa’s Assembly poll ring, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said the state was currently witnessing a “political carnival”.

    Addressing a press conference, Raut also announced that his party would contest 22 to 25 seats in Goa without forging any pre-poll alliance, and added that if voted to power, his party would shut down the casinos in the state.

    Election to the 40-member Goa Assembly is due in February next year.

    The state is currently being ruled by the BJP, while Congress sits in the opposition.

    “I have heard that TMC is also fighting the polls in Goa. The political parties from Delhi and West Bengal are contesting in Goa. So many leaders are switching sides. What we are currently witnessing in Goa is a political carnival,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

    He claimed that the Shiv Sena, which is from neighbouring Maharashtra, has a strong base in Goa where it has been present for over two decades.

    “We are emotionally and culturally connected to Goa,” Raut said.

    When asked about the possibility of his party’s alliance with the NCP and the Congress in Goa, as happened in his home state, the Sena leader said, “The politics of Maharashtra is different from that of Goa.

    ” He asserted that the Sena’s move of contesting on its own will not cause any division of opposition votes.

    “We have our own base and we are sure to win on majority seats with it,” he said.

    Raut said his party has taken up several issues in Goa, including the demand to reduce the duty hours of women police staff in the state.

    Goa’s former Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro, who has joined the TMC, on Thursday announced that the Mamata Banerjee-led party plans to contest all 40 seats in Goa on its own.

    The AAP has already thrown its hat in the ring ahead of the polls, with the party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announcing free power up to 300 units per month and 80 per cent jobs for locals if his party is voted to power.

    In the last Assembly polls, the Congress had won the highest number of 17 seats, restricting the BJP to 13 seats.

    However, surprising the Congress, the saffron party allied with regional parties and formed government under the leadership of senior leader Manohar Parrikar.

  • Congress must shed ‘armchair politics’, hit the streets against BJP: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday advised the Congress to hit the streets against the BJP, instead of indulging in “armchair politics”. The advice comes days after the young TMC Turk criticised the Congress for allegedly failing to put up a credible fight against the saffron camp.

    If the Congress cannot fight the BJP, the TMC will do it and defeat the saffron party, Banerjee said. “The Congress has to leave its armchair politics and social media politics and hit the streets,” he said.

    The bonhomie between the Congress and the TMC was strained recently after the latter’s mouthpiece “Jago Bangla” claimed that party supremo Mamata Banerjee, and not Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has emerged as the face of the opposition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

  • Mamata Banerjee was BJP’s Trojan Horse, must be kept out of opposition platform: Adhir Chowdhury

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the Trojan Horse of the BJP and should be kept out of all efforts to cobble up an opposition platform ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged on Wednesday.

    In an interview to PTI, Chowdhury said that Banerjee was an “untrustworthy ally”, trying to grow nationally at the cost of the Congress. “Mamata Banerjee has always tried to bite the hand that fed her. She should be kept out of the efforts to form opposition unity. She is the Trojan Horse of the BJP, who can never be trusted in the fight against the BJP,” he said.

    “She is desperately trying to please Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to protect her family and party leaders from the clutches of the CBI and ED. In return, she is helping the BJP achieve its target of Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India). The TMC is trying to sabotage the opposition unity,” claimed Chowdhury, the state president of the Congress.

    He said that TMC has always grown at the cost of Congress. “First, they did it in Bengal, and now they are trying to do it nationally. The TMC is known for backstabbing its allies,” he claimed. His comments came as the Trinamool Congress has been inducting Congress leaders to bolster its national presence.

    Among the heavyweight Congress leaders who joined the TMC are Sushmita Dev and former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro. “Mamata Banerjee is dreaming of becoming the next prime minister of the country, and Congress seems to be their biggest roadblock. As long as the Congress is there, she can never be the leader of the opposition front, and that is why she is trying to tarnish the image of the Congress and undermine its leadership,” Chowdhury said.

    On an article in the TMC’s mouthpiece that claimed Banerjee and not Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is the opposition face against Modi, he said the party’s leadership was living in a “fool’s paradise”. “Rahul Gandhi has been the most consistent opposition voice against the BJP and the RSS. Congress still commands a 20 per cent vote share in the country. Apart from BJP, can you name any other party with such a vote share? The answer is no,” he said.

    Lauding Gandhi’s leadership, Chowdhury said the BJP and certain opposition parties deliberately try to discredit him as they were “afraid of him”. He said the Congress has never claimed to be the leader of the opposition front as it was the “natural leader”.

    “Without Congress, there can never be any anti-BJP front in the country. The opposition unity is based on shared ideas and policies, and should not be at the cost of the Congress,” he said.

    On the crisis in the party’s Punjab unit, Chowdhury said that he hoped it would be resolved soon. “Congress is a liberal party, and we allow everybody to place their opinions. Amarinder Singh is a respected leader and no one has ever doubted his administrative capabilities. But, the change of guard was necessary due to growing incumbency in Punjab and a large section of MLAs wanted the change,” he said.