Journalism of Courage
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee addressed her first public rally and also held a road show ahead of the February 16 Assembly elections in Tripura, seeking votes in the name of ‘Bengal model’ of development, employment, and social harmony. She said Trinamool Congress is the lone force in India that can take on the saffron camp, as well as Congress and CPI(M) in Tripura, saying “all of these parties failed to usher in development despite lofty promises”.
Mamata, who arrived in Tripura along with her MP nephew Abhishek Banerjee, walked for 5.5-km covering three Assembly constituencies — Agartala, Ramnagar and Town Bardowali — before addressing a public gathering in front of Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan in the state capital. Town Bardowali is the home turf of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha.
In her speech, Mamata appealed to the voters to give TMC a chance to deliver and “if you don’t find my party’s development model satisfactory, you can change it next time”.
In her characteristic occasional poetic repertoire, Mamata recited several poems by Rabindranath Tagore and also made her political appeal in a poetic undertone, saying: “Bhikkhe noy, chaichi hrin, na korte parle phiriye nin (We are not asking for alms, but loan; if you don’t like, can take it back).”
Vote for the TMC for the sake of peace, development, employment, tribal welfare, unity and integrity, Mamata said.
“If voted to power, I will apply Bengal’s development model in the state, including flagship schemes like Kanyasree, Rupasree, Laxmir Bhandar, Sabooj Sathi,” she said.
“We want to build industrial towns, growth clusters, hospitals, engineering and medical colleges, usher in development for tribals and non-tribals together. We want to keep people of all religions together. If you support TMC, we shall give benefits of Bengal development model to Tripura. Both states are very close culturally and only 30 minutes away (via air),” she said.
Mamata accused the BJP of perpetrating violence in last five years. “Those attacking us should remember that it remains to be seen whom people will choose in 2024 [LS polls],” she said.
