'Not Interested In PM's Chair, But If BJP Returns To Power...': Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is part of the newly announced grand position alliance INDIA to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has said that she is not interested in becoming the prime minister but just wants the saffron party to go. The Trinamool Congress supremo made these remarks while addressing a gathering at the party’s annual Martyr's Day rally. Speaking on the occasion, Mamata said that she has no ambition for any chair but is just willing to fight against the BJP rule to dethrone it.

The statement from Mamata Banerjee comes in the wake of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar making it clear that they have no interest in the Prime Minister's seat.

Mamata Lashes Out At Centre Over Manipur Situation

Continuing her tirade against the Centre over the Manipur crisis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the BJP's 'Beti Bachao' scheme has now turned into 'Beti Jalao' (Burn our daughters).

The TMC boss wondered why the Centre never bothered to send central teams to Manipur, where ethnic strife has claimed over 160 lives so far. “We want to express our solidarity with Manipur. The BJP had sent so many central teams to Bengal (after the panchayat polls), why no central team was sent to the northeastern state,” she questioned.

Mamata, while expressing her solidarity with the newly formed opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A, asserted that their mission is to remove the saffron camp from power.

She warned that the return of the BJP government would signal the demise of democracy. The TMC boss gave a clarion call to oust the BJP and refuted claims of personal ambitions by saying, “We have no other demand, nor we want any chair except ousting BJP from the Centre in 2024.”

“I am happy that these 26 opposition parties have come together. We will organise protests against the Centre under the banner of the opposition alliance - I.N.D.I.A. The alliance will fight and TMC will stand by it like a soldier,” she said.

Banerjee said if the BJP returns to power for the third consecutive time at the Centre, “Democracy will cease to exist in the country.”