Kolkata: West Bengal Congress President Somen Mitra on Saturday blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the rise of BJP and RSS in the state, saying had she not pursued the policy of "blatant minority appeasement", the saffron party would not have gained footing here.
WBPCC Chief further said that Banerjee who had been poaching leaders of the opposition parties was now facing difficulty to protect her own existence, hinting at an exodus of the Trinamool Congress leaders to the BJP.
Talking to reporters here Mitra lambasted Banerjee for "weakening" the opposition unity which helped the BJP in the general election.
In the non-BJP camp, the TMC, CPI-M and Congress fought separately in Bengal.
The BJP bagged 18 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal out of a total of 42, only four less than the TMC. The Congress managed to win two seats, down from four in 2014. The CPI(M), which ruled Bengal for 34 years, drew a blank.
Buoyed by the massive victory, the saffron party's leaders have been asserting that they will overthrow the Trinamool Congress government in the 2021 assembly polls.
"Mamata Banerjee is solely responsible for the rise of BJP and RSS in Bengal. Had she not pursued the policy of blatant minority appeasement, the BJP wouldn't have found a footing in Bengal."
"Her policy of removing all opposition, poaching on opposition leaders and representatives has only led to the rise of BJP. Now she has no right to complain about it," Mitra told reporters.
Those who once strengthened the hands of BJP to weaken Congress will now find it difficult to protect their own existence, Mitra said apparently referring to the flight of TMC leaders to BJP in Bengal.
"Even before elections, Mamata Banerjee was busy with her dreams of becoming the Prime Minister. Time and again she had tried to undermine the Congress leadership," Mitra, who replaced Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as West Bengal Congress President in last September, said.
Mitra, however, lamented that had there been a CPI(M)-Congress alliance in the State, the march of BJP could have been halted in the State.
"The CPI(M) was not serious about alliance. They tried to impose their decisions on us. That's the reason the alliance didn't work out," he said.
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