No pre-poll alliance with Congress, says Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: “My focus is on development, catch me if you can,” smiled Mamata Banerjee, chief minister, West Bengal. It was a challenge to all nay-sayers doubting her ability to play a big role in central politics post 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

It was a statement that implied also that it wasn’t Narendra Modi alone who was pro-development, pro growth. In a free-wheeling interview to Economic Times, Mamata sounded absolutely convinced about the poll miscalculations of both Congress and BJP.

“The Congress will be rejected by the people and the BJP is just talking some high numbers. They will both be disappointed” she said. She refused to name any political party specifically, but said the federal government which she is angling for will most definitely not include the Congress and the BJP.

Obviously she isn’t interested in playing her cards too soon, and would prefer to wait for the results to be out to see if those she has in mind have fared well. The All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) chief categorically ruled out the possibility of any pre-poll alliance with the Congress party in West Bengal. “We are fighting the Congress, CPI (M) and the BJP, and that perhaps answers your question” she said.

She wasn’t in doubt about the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls, at least she didn’t seem to be. But she side-stepped when asked whether her plans would go all awry if the results are not what she expects them to be.

“Calculations are what you people make. We believe in people’s blessings” she said. Obviously, the Trinamool chief wasn’t going to put numbers to her own calculations. “We would be fighting all 42 seats in Bengal and we will fight to win. Apart from that, we would be putting up candidates in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura among other states,” she said.