Mamata Banerjee said the TMC coalition victory must be won in Goa to “unite” the votes. (File)
New Delhi:
Bengali minister Mamata Banerjee, looking to win Goa, said today her Trinamool Parliament supports a multicultural and multi-religious state and is the only alternative to BJP rule. TMC stands for “Temples, Mosques, and Churches,” she said, referring to party workers in the coastal nation and took a page out of the Prime Minister’s book of improvisational acronyms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We played against BJP. Is there any chance of winning? Are you confident that we can win? If you are confident then don’t back down. March is coming,” ANI news agency quoted her as saying. said in the Panaji newspaper.
“We are not here to divide votes but to unite votes and help the TMC coalition win. This is an alternative to BJP. If someone wants to support it, they will decide. We have made a decision. We will fight and die but we will not back down,” added Ms. Banerjee, who is on a three-day tour of Goa.
A Hindu-majority state, Goa has a significant Christian population – a legacy of the Portuguese past – and a Muslim portion. The state has mostly voted for Congress, although the BJP has been in power there for nearly a decade.
Trinamool – which is expanding its base for the state polls due in 2023 – has gone head-to-head with Congress, with Ms Banerjee pointing out that Congress has in fact given way to the BJP in the election. last though the single largest party.
Ms. Banerjee has also forged an alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party led by Sudhin Dhavlikar, which helped bring the BJP to power in the state in 2017 and still attracts a large following.
Trinamool has begun an active campaign after former Goa Minister Luizinho Faleiro – who had previously joined the National Assembly – joined the party.
Former tennis star Leander Paes has also joined the party and there is much speculation that he will be its face in the next state elections.
The Trinamool Congress plans to contest all 40 seats in the state parliament, which the party claims is almost a sister state to Bengal. The party pointed out that both Bengal and Goa are coastal states and share a love for fish and football.
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