Mamata Banerjee: I can win the election even if put behind bars, I know who are in touch with other political parties

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday held a public meeting in Bankura district that indicated that she had started her political campaign for the coming Assembly polls.

Addressing the people of Bankura, including political workers of her party, Banerjee said that she was well aware of those who were “keeping in touch” with other political parties, how much money was on offer to those in her party now, and who were playing safe wondering “what if by chance, someone else comes to power?”. She said: “It is not a question of ‘by chance’, there is absolutely no chance for anyone else to come to power in the state.”

Criticising some of her own party colleagues, Banerjee said that there were some leaders who were not popular nor doing good work, but that should not make people dislike her entire party or write her off.

Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Banerjee said: “They are offering a lot of money to leaders and MLAs. This is no way to do politics. They are saying ‘either come with us or stay home’. If you want to threaten and put people in jail, I challenge you to put me behind bars, and I can show you that I can win this election from prison.”

Addressing differences and grievances among her own party leaders but without referring to it directly, Banerjee said that she would from now on devote more time to her party work, and leaders everywhere should know that she herself was the party observer who would supervise every work of the party from all districts and blocks. There have been grievances among her party leaders who have shown lack of faith in some leaders leading to fissures and groups, though almost all of them continue to have utmost devotion to Banerjee herself. It is this aspect that Mamata Banerjee addressed at today’s Bankura meeting.

Asking party workers to keep an eye on the unfaithful leaders, she said, “Keep an eye on those who are in touch with other political parties. See whom they speak with, whom they meet after dark, and whether they think I do not know who they are. I am aware of everything, I have just let them roam around as I want to see how far they can go.”