Mamata releases TMC list; 41% are women

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday announced the list of candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, out of which about 41% are women.

"Other parties should take a look at this. About 41% of our candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are women. We had 35% women MPs,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

The TMC also decided not to give tickets to eight sitting MPs, including party general secretary Subrata Bakshi.

"Subrata Bakshi told me that he wants to work for the party and achieve our target of winning all 42 seats in West Bengal,” Mamata said.

The TMC supremo chose the occasion to launch a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of failing on several fronts in the last five years, Mamata said that unemployment, atrocities on Dalits and minorities, and farmer suicides went up during the period.

"The government has miserably failed in the last five years. The youth are being neglected and harassed,” she said. She also accused the BJP of misusing government institutions such as the CBI and the RBI.

Cash via copters

The chief minister urged the Election Commission to ensure that cash does not flow into constituencies in helicopters and chartered flights used by VIPs.

"It should be ensured that VIPs don’t bring money through chartered flights and helicopters to purchase voters,” Mamata said.

On forming alliances with other parties, she said the TMC was yet to enter into any pact, but was is ready to join forces with those parties that are against the BJP.

“We have no understanding (alliance) as of now. But our doors are open for anyone who is against the BJP. We will support regional parties in other states against the BJP,” she said.

Targeting Modi, Mamata said, "May 19, 2019 (the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections) will be the end of Modi’s rule. He has instilled a sense of fear among people and he must go. This is our challenge.”

Referring to a recent RTI reply by the RBI wherein it was stated that the Centre went ahead with demonetisation despite the central bank's reservations, Mamata demanded an explanation from the government.