victory-in-ls-polls-will-be-a-befitting-reply-to-bjp-tmc-leader-mahua-moitra

Exuding confidence in securing her Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat with a bigger margin, senior Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra feels that her victory would be a fitting response to the “conspiracy” to expel her from Lok Sabha last year and tarnish her reputation through raids and summons by central agencies in a cash-for-query case.

 

She asserted that despite all efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party to “sound the death knell” for constitutional democracy, India is too great a country to be destroyed by the fascists.

 

Moitra, who was re-nominated by the TMC from the same Krishnanagar seat after being expelled last year, accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of acting as “political agents of the saffron camp”.

 

In an interview, Moitra said the Election Commission has “lost its independence” since commissioners are handpicked by a selection committee where the Centre has two-thirds majority.

 

“There is no doubt about my victory. It is about how big the margin will be, which will be decided on June 4. I live here and have been among my people for the past five years and even before that as an MLA. So there is a very strong connection, and frankly, there is no election mode as such here,” she said.

She won by a margin of over 60,000 votes in the 2019 elections, bagging 45 per cent of the total votes polled.

 

“My victory would be a fitting response to the conspiracy to expel me and tarnish my reputation,” the 49-year-old politician said.

 

“I have been saying this since my first speech in Parliament. The BJP is sounding the death knell for India as a constitutional democracy… But India is too great a nation to be destroyed by these fascist thugs,” she said.

 

Asked if re-elected, whether she would continue with the same zeal in attacking the saffron party on policy issues, Moitra shot back, “What do you think… I will get back to my seat and sing paeans to the BJP?” Moitra had repeatedly questioned the Centre’s involvement in the expansion of assets of a private conglomerate and had moved multiple lawsuits in the Supreme Court challenging various policies made by the Narendra Modi government.

 

On whether it is possible to defeat the BJP-led NDA, as the opposition bloc INDIA is not finding enough traction in most of the states, Moitra said, “The people are the ultimate decision-makers. I have faith in the people. It may be delayed but it will happen.” The TMC leader said implementation of CAA rules will not have much impact in her constituency, which has a considerable Matua population.

 

“The Matua population is in higher numbers in the neighbouring seat of Ranaghat. Here we have a small percentage. But yes, Matua organisations themselves are telling their members not to apply for CAA and mark themselves as illegal foreigners, given they have enjoyed all state benefits for the past years,” she said.

 

When asked about her opinion on her opponent from the saffron camp, ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy of the Krishnanagar Royal family, she said the candidate is of no consequence to her.

 

“My fight is against the BJP symbol. I am least bothered about who they have put up. June 4 will show the results,” she said.