Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has attributed the BJP’s third consecutive victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to Congress’s failure in leading the opposition bloc. Her views are expressed in her latest book, Banglar Nirbachon o Amra (Bengal Elections and Us), released at the Kolkata International Book Fair, reports The Hindu.
According to Banerjee, despite the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) efforts to unify anti-BJP forces under the INDIA bloc, the Congress leadership failed to ensure a coordinated electoral strategy. She wrote, “We earnestly wanted a strong opposition bloc against the BJP at the national level. From the outset, we pushed for a common minimum programme and a joint manifesto. Even the name INDIA bloc was my suggestion. Congress was offered the position of the national opposition leader, yet it failed to bring all parties together. Without a shared agenda, the bloc fractured, allowing the BJP to return to power despite lacking a clear majority.”
Banerjee also claimed that Congress’s electoral success was largely due to the support of other INDIA bloc allies. On West Bengal’s political scenario, she accused Congress of colluding with both the CPI(M)-led Left Front and the BJP to weaken the TMC.
Despite these challenges, Banerjee credited TMC’s strong performance in the 2024 elections to public support for her government’s developmental initiatives. In the polls, TMC increased its tally from 22 to 29 seats, while the BJP’s count dropped from 18 to 12. Congress secured just one seat, and the Left Front failed to win any.
The book is one of three new works authored by Banerjee, launched at the book fair, reflecting her continued engagement with political discourse.
