It’s TMC versus BJP, close fight on 32 of 42 seats: Mukul Roy

KOLKATA: Mukul Roy, a senior BJP leader and in-charge of its election management committee in Bengal, has said there could be surprise results from 32 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal, asserting that Trinamool Congress could suffer substantial reverses not due to ‘anti-incumbency’, but because of a ‘strong anti-Mamata feeling’ among its people.

In an interaction with ET, Roy said the 2019 general elections will be a straight fight between the BJP and TMC, pushing Congress and CPM to the fringes, and his party is expected to gain at least 12% vote share from the Congress and Left parties.

People, who do not like Banerjee, will vote for BJP, he said. “It will be a tough fight in at least 32 seats, and there could be many upsets. People want parivartan (change), and this is the time for it,” said Roy.


Roy, who was formerly manager of West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, said the ruling party will suffer “substantial damage in Bengal and their number of seats could drop below 25”.

About shifting of votes from CPM and Congress, the former TMC general secretary said, “In this election, the battle will be between BJP and TMC, while others will be fringe players. We feel that at least 12% of the total vote share of CPM-Congress together will come to us.”

Dwelling on the preparedness of BJP in the state, Roy said that they are happy with the response they got from the people during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah’s rallies.

“These are the people who reached the venue on their own, we didn’t mobilise them. The state government machinery works hard to stop BJP from doing any public programme here, such is the extent of intimidation.”

Explaining that Bengal is not exactly suffering from ‘anti-incumbency’, but a deep anti-Mamata feeling, Roy said it is because of the unabated violence unleashed in the state by the ruling party.