Mamata , Kejriwal To Attend PM Modi’s Oath Ceremony
NEW DELHI : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on May 30. This comes even as a big blow jolted Mamata on Tuesday as two of her MLAs and several councillors left the Trinamool Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“I have spoken to other Chief Ministers also. Since it is a ceremonial program we thought of attending it. Yes I will go,” Mamata told reporters today. Mamata’s positive response is a surprise to many in the political circles as this was the least expected development since both Modi and Banerjee were at loggerheads during the entire election season.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the TMC fell to 22 seats from 34, while the BJP’s tally zoomed to 18 from two. Mamata had even offered to resign from her post, but her proposal was rejected by Trinamool Congress.
The Bengal Chief Minister’s RSVP surprised many on a day the ruling BJP flaunted a large group of defectors from her Trinamool Congress and threatened more switches. For Mr Modi’s second oath ceremony, several world leaders, chief ministers and opposition leaders have been invited. Among them is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has accepted the invitation.
“I have spoken to other Chief Ministers also. This is a ceremonial program. There are certain constitutional obligations that we try to fulfill. We will try to attend the event,” Mamata Banerjee said.
After a bitterly fought national election in which the BJP ended up with 18 seats in 40-seat Bengal – only a few less than the state’s ruling Trinamool that dropped from 34 in 2014 to 22 – the BJP today made it clear that the battle was not over.
Two Trinamool lawmakers and over 50 municipal Councillors, mostly from Mamata Banerjee’s party, joined the BJP today in what the party called the first of a many-part exodus. Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayavargiya reminded Mamata Banerjee of PM Modi’s campaign speech that “over 40 Trinamool MLAs (legislators)” were in touch with the BJP.
“The elections in Bengal were held in seven phases. Now these joinings (sic) from Trinamool will also take place in seven phases. Today was the first phase,” said Mr Vijayavargiya, with former Trinamool leader Mukul Roy seated beside him.
Mukul Roy was a close aide of Mamata Banerjee before he was removed in 2017. He joined the BJP. Mukul Roy’s son Subhrangshu was among those who joined the BJP today. The BJP’s challenge, and the exodus from Trinamool, indicates the party’s plan to consolidate its national election victory and extend it to 2022, when the assembly elections to Bengal will be held. (With Agency Inputs ).
