Mamata Banerjee says people will bulldoze BJP in democratic manner

"People will bulldoze the BJP in a democratic manner. It will not be a select vote but it will be a vote to reject BJP,” Banerjee said speaking at the India Today Conclave East here.

Banerjee even went ahead to claim people of the country, who have voted Prime Minister Narendra Modi back to power in 2019 with a thumping majority, will cast their mandates not to "elect a government" but to "protest" in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“It (The 2024 election) will not be to elect a government but people will vote to protest," the feisty 67-year-old regional leader added.

Mamata Banerjee on Maharashtra politics

Furthermore, talking about the newly formed Maharashtra government, led by CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, she said, "I believe this government will not continue. It’s an unethical, undemocratic government. They might have won the government, but they did not win the heart of Maharashtra."

After 40 Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde turned rebel and joined hands with the BJP, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had to step down ending the two-and-a-half-year Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Mamata Banerjee on dynasty politics

Responding to the BJP's accusation of Banerjee's dynasty politics in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said, "What is the harm? People elected him twice. Don’t you want the young generation to take up the reigns of the country?”

Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah being the secretary of BCCI, Banerjee said: “When someone becomes the BCCI top boss, there is no talk of dynasty politics. It’s only mentioned to refer to those who actually fight for the people at the grassroots level.”

Growth matters, says Mamata Banerjee on joining hands with Adani, Ambani

When Banerjee was asked about the investments of industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani whom she had accused of being the beneficiary of the Modi government in the past, the Chief Minister Monday said, "Politics is something different, Industry is something different. If you want to grow, you will have to involve all."

Banerjee on Monday said that politics and industry should not be mixed and cited the state's growth as the reason why her government chose to join hands with Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani's conglomerates - Adani Group and Reliance Industries.

"You have to divide the fruit for all. I don't mind who is A, who is B, who is C, who is D. I mind who matters," she added at the fifth edition of the India Today Conclave East 2022.

Earlier in June, the West Bengal government gave its nod to Adani Enterprises to set up a hyper-scale data centre at Bengal Silicon Valley in the New Town area on the outskirts of the capital city, Kolkata. The state cabinet gave its go-ahead to the company to set up the facility on 51.75 acres of land.

Reliance's Telecom arm Reliance Jio is building a cable landing station in West Bengal. This would boost the state’s connectivity with European and Asian countries. According to government officials, the landing station is expected to transform West Bengal into a major IT and ITES hub.