The biggest festival of democracy has come to an end, followed by Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister for the third time in a row and the Union Cabinet being formed.
The first session of the Lok Sabha will, reportedly, begin from on or after mid-June.
The Opposition, which happens will be in a powerful position this time, has begun to brainstorm about the issues, on which they will raise their voice both inside and outside the Parliament.
One of the opposition parties, which managed to make a mark with the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections is Trinamool Congress. Thus, its supremo Mamata Banerjee has started to make the necessary preparations for the upcoming sessions in the 18th Lok Sabha.
It has been learnt that TMC would intensify its voice against the BJP-led Centre inside and outside Parliament to demand funds for several central schemes held up for the past couple of years.
“The battle against the Centre in Bengal will intensify…. I will demand that the dues of all states should be released immediately. We should not be considered weak now. We are strong enough,” said Mamata after a meeting with her party’s newly elected MPs, defeated candidates and other leaders at her residence.
Sources in the TMC are of the view that CM Banerjee realised that the fight to demand central funds under schemes like the 100-days’ job and rural housing had given Trinamool an edge in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
After the Centre froze funds to Bengal under schemes like MGNREGA in December 2021, citing irregularities, the TMC led by its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a massive movement against the Narendra Modi government.
Agitations were staged in Delhi and Calcutta. In Delhi, several TMC MPs were detained when they went to meet the minister of state for rural development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, in her office at Krishi Bhavan in October 2023.
In February this year, the Bengal government released Rs 2,800 crore from its coffers to pay 59 lakh MGNREGA job card holders.
“This worked in our favour during the election campaign. The chief minister wants to carry this forward to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party under pressure ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Moreover, it is clear that the chief minister does not want to allow complacency to set in among party workers ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls,” said a Trinamool source.
Sources in the state administration also said with the strength of 29 MPs, the ruling party wants to put pressure on the BJP which doesn’t have a majority on its own in Parliament.
In order to run the 100 days’ job and the rural housing schemes from the state exchequer in case the Centre did not release funds. the state will require at least Rs 18,000 crore. So, putting the pressure on the BJP is being considered as a strategy.
This apart, the TMC MPs would take the battle to Parliament on issues like unemployment and price rise, Mamata said.
CM Banerjee even said a TMC delegation, including party’s Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen and Sagarika Ghosh, would visit Haryana to express solidarity with farmers agitating for a better minimum support price for their produce.
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