‘Bengal saves India,’ says Mamata after her landslide victory

Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Sunday. PHOTO: Indian Express

Online desk: Mamata Banerjee is likely to return as the chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term with the TMC leading in over 220 seats, according to Indian media.

Speaking to party workers from her Kalighat residence, Banerjee said, “This is Bengal’s victory”.

“I am proud to say that Bengal saved the country,” Mamata said.

“This is a victory for Bengal, for the people of Bengal… Our first priority is to fight against COVID-19,”  she told party workers after registering a win in Nandigram.

Speaking to the press later, she said, “Covid is my first priority. We will work on this immediately. We will not do a big oath-taking ceremony. We will weather this storm. We will distribute free vaccines to everyone. I also request the Centre to distribute free vaccines to all. If this does not happen, I will sit on a dharna in front of the Gandhi Murti in Kolkata.”

She added, “We appeal to everyone not to do a victory rally now. But this will be after Covid is defeated. We will do a big victory rally at the Brigade Parade Ground later after the situation is normal.”

Mamata Banerjee also defeated her BJP rival Suvedu Adhikari in Nandigram by over 1,200 votes.

“Don’t worry about Nandigram, I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It’s ok. Let the Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don’t mind. We won more than 221 seats & BJP has lost the election,” said  Mamata Banerjee.

She appealed to all her workers to not take out any victory rally.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated Mamata Banerjee for TMC’s good performance in West Bengal polls.

TMC vice president Yashwant Sinha demands the resignation of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah following the outcome of the West Bengal assembly poll, saying the result will have a far-reaching impact on the Uttar Pradesh assembly election and the 2024 parliamentary election.

As the counting of votes for the West Bengal election continues on Sunday, the Election Commission data showed that Trinamool Congress is all set to return to power in the state.

Commenting on the possible poll outcome, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya credited Mamata Banerjee for TMC’s win, saying ‘it seems Bengal has chosen Didi’.

“The TMC won because of Mamata Banerjee. It seems people have chosen Didi. We will introspect what went wrong, whether it was organisational issues, lack of face, insider- outsider debate. We will see what went wrong,” Vijayvargiya said.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Babul Supriyo and actor Yash Gupta are trailing from Tollygunge and Chanditala constituencies respectively. Locket Chatterjee is also trailing from Chunsura.

TMC ministers Firhad Hakim, Partha Chatterjee and Subrata Mukherjee are leading in Kolkata Port, Ballygunge and Behala West constituencies respectively.