Mamata Banerjee to Skip INDIA Bloc Meet Due to Polls and Cyclone Relief Efforts

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 28th May. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday that she will not attend the INDIA bloc meeting on June 1 due to the final phase of Lok Sabha polls and the ongoing relief efforts following Cyclone Remal’s impact on the state’s coastal regions.

The meeting, convened by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, coincides with the last round of polling. Addressing an election rally in Kolkata, Banerjee explained her absence: “The INDIA bloc meeting has been fixed on June 1. But I have already said I can’t go on June 1 as there is an election in our state on that day. So far I know there are elections in Punjab, UP, and Bihar. Voting will continue till 6 pm, and at times it extends beyond that.”

Emphasizing the dual challenges of managing post-cyclone relief work and the ongoing elections, Banerjee highlighted her commitment to relief efforts: “How can I leave everything behind and go? My priority is relief work. Even if I am holding a meeting here, my heart goes out to those people affected by the cyclone.”

Cyclone Remal, with winds reaching 135 kmph, claimed four lives and caused extensive damage in West Bengal. The TMC, although having withdrawn from the INDIA bloc in West Bengal in January, remains committed to the opposition alliance at the national level.

TMC sources noted that voting on June 1 will cover nine crucial seats, including Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar. Key leaders, including Banerjee, will cast their votes on this day, preventing their attendance at the meeting. Despite this, the TMC has participated in all previous INDIA bloc meetings and rallies.

The INDIA bloc, comprising 28 opposition parties, aims to contest the Lok Sabha elections unitedly. The first meeting of the bloc took place in Patna last year, followed by subsequent gatherings in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Ranchi. The TMC continues to support the alliance at the national level, although it lacks seat-sharing deals with other bloc partners in West Bengal.