“People did not respect ‘development’ in Bengal”, Mamata

Salient features of Mamata speech at review meeting:

“I wanted to leave CM post, party did not agree”
“People did not pay for development in the state”
“have asked Abhishek to prepare voters list”
“I don’t accept this result”
“Vote polarization of Hindu Muslim votes behind debacle”
“This vote was purchased, money power evident”

Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday held a review meeting to analyse the ‘pathetic’ debacle of the party in the 2019 lok sabha elections in Bengal. Earlier on the day of the result Banerjee had twitted to inform that party will hold a review meeting and go to people with the report. Intermediately, after the polls. Mamata had asked all the party workers, leaders, winning and defeated leaders to attend the meeting. Earlier, Mamata and senior leaders within the party had blamed ‘back stabbing’ and ‘sabotage’ behind the defeat. The party members attended the meeting which took place at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata.

The party had earlier accused Mukul Roy’s son Subhrangshu Shekhar Roy for the defeat and called him ‘ghaddar’ (traitor). The party accused Subhrangshu of back stabbing the party in connivance with his father Mukul Roy. The party has suspended him for next six-years. This has irked Subhrangshu who said in his reaction to Press that he will be talking to his father Mukul Roy in the coming days.

After the meeting, Mamata held a press conference and replied to the question from journalists. She said this defeat will help the party to come stronger. Mamata said, I wanted to resign from as chief minister taking all the responsibilities of the defeat but my partymen did not let me go”. She blamed the Hindu Muslim vote polarization behind the debacle. However, Mamata said she has asked her nephew Abhishek Banerjee to prepare a detailed voters list.

Apart from review meeting details, the Trinamool supremo also informed about the changes and names of new office bearers across districts. Mamata Banerjee said the only sad part is people did not pay respect to the immense development taking place in the state.