2021 is going to be electorally a disastrous year for BJP: TMC

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 25

Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday said 2021 would be electorally a disastrous year for BJP as the party was all set to suffer humiliating defeat in three major states.

Addressing a press conference here, senior TMC Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy and party leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said that BJP was having “zero chance” in three of the four states where assembly general elections were going to be held this year.

Roy and O’Brien said that in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala – states where assembly elections were slated to take place this year – BJP was certain to get mauled in the hustings. Assam, the fourth state going to the elections in 2021, will see a close contest, the two TMC lawmakers said.

Roy and O’Brien said the real “big” election would be the general elections for the Lok Sabha in 2024. “The idea of India, as envisioned by the makers of our constitution would be at stake in the 2024 general elections for Lok Sabha. The results will determine whether India would continue to remain a secular, socialist country or not,” they said.

Asked who would be the leader of the anti-BJP parties in the 2024 elections, the TMC MPs answered that they would not like to reveal their “strategy” at this stage. “First ask the BJP who they are going to project as their candidate for the post of Chief Minister in West Bengal assembly elections,” O’Brien said.

TMC would have no issue if 1,000 companies of paramilitary forces (meaning one lakh jawans) were deployed in West Bengal for the smooth conduct of the assembly elections, the two TMC lawmakers said. “It is up to the Election Commission to decide and then arrange the deployment in consultation with the Union Home Ministry,” Roy said.

“All we want is that the BJP or central ministers should not be going around saying so much security personnel were being deployed in West Bengal for the elections, they will teach a lesson to TMC, and so on,” Roy added.