Ahead of the Goa Legislative Assembly polls that are scheduled to take place next year, Mamata Banerjee suffered a huge setback after 5 Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders deserted the party citing vote bank politics.

The 5 leaders included Ram Mandrekar, Kishor Parwar, Komal Parwar, Sujay Mallik, and former MLA Lavoo Mamledar. In a letter addressed to the West Bengal Chief Minister, they said, “We had joined the AITC with a hope that it would bring brighter days for Goa and Goans. But it is unfortunate to bring to the notice that AITC has not understood Goa and Goans. The company which you all have hired for your campaign in Goa is fooling Goans and they have not understood the pulse of Goans.”

“Recently you all launched Griha Laxmi Scheme saying it would give INR 5000 to each woman every month in the state. But we would like to remind you that in West Bengal AITC government scheme by the name Laxmi Bhandar Scheme in which only INR 500 is given to women every month. This clearly indicates that in Goa Griha Laxmi Scheme is nothing but collection of data for elections by the company you all have hired as they don’t have any data on the ground,” the letter exposed the hypocrisy of the TMC.

“When AITC govt has failed to uplift women in West Bengal, we don’t think it would do any good to our Goan mothers and sisters,” the former TMC leaders said. They regretted their previously held misconception that All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) was a ‘secular party.’ The letter added, “AITC has tried to divide Goans on the basis of religion by aligning with Sudin Dhavalikar. AITC move to polarise Hindu votes towards MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) and Catholic votes towards AITC is purely communal in nature.”

“We do not want to continue with a party which is trying to divide Goans. We will not allow AITC and the company managing AITC Goa to break the secular fabric of the state and we shall protect it,” the leaders concluded.

Screengrab of the letter, image via ANI

Mamata Banerjee played the ‘outsider’ card in Goa

Earlier this month, Mamata Banerjee had visited Goa and claimed how she did not want ‘outsiders’ to ‘control’ Goa. Banerjee had said that the TMC wanted the BJP to end in Goa and urged everyone to unite to defeat the BJP. She also played her caste card and claimed how she was a Brahmin and added that she did not want ‘outsiders to control Goa’. Banerjee, herself, was born and brought up in Kolkata and has done her schooling and higher education all in Kolkata, West Bengal.

References:

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff