Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the list of candidates for the 2019 General Elections in West Bengal on Tuesday. She dropped 10 of her sitting MPs in the state. She said the party will also contest on some seats in Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and the Andamans.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) releases list of 42 candidates contesting #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/ut1sCReYQB
— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2019
Then, in a bizarre statement, Mamata accused the BJP, and specifically Narendra Modi, of doing ‘Black Magic’. She said, “May 19 (last day of the polls) will sound the death knell for the Modi sarkar. They have done a kind of ‘black magic’ in this country. My only challenge is to remove Modi sarkar. On May 19, its one foot will be in the coffin.”
Mamata Banerjee is known to make bewildering remarks. She had earlier said that Prime Minister Modi was jealous of her painting skills. Then again, in a poem of sorts, she equated illegal immigrants with untouchables.
The Chief Minister’s remarks may be indicative of her nervousness about her party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha Elections. Earlier today, Congress MLA Dulal Chandra Bar and CPM MLA Khagen Murmu had joined the BJP. Bolpur MP Anupam Hazra, accusing the TMC of blatant corruption and for prevailing anarchy in the state, has joined the BJP as well.
Earlier, BJP leader and former TMC leader Mukul Roy had claimed that at least 5 more MPs were in touch with him and wanted to join the BJP ahead of the general elections. There have been reports that many TMC cadres are willing to join the BJP in huge numbers. The BJP was also reported to be making gains in erstwhile Maoist bastions and tribal areas in the state.
