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BJP Won’t Cross More Than 125 Seats in LS Polls: Mamata Banerjee
Supporters from Dakshin Dinajpur have reached #Kolkata for the mega #BrigadeChalo rally
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 18, 2019
ব্রিগেডের মহা সমাবেশে অংশ নিতে দক্ষিণ দিনাজপুর থেকে এসে পৌঁছেছেন সমর্থকরা pic.twitter.com/dmgqob7jY5
Calling out the Modi government for making false promises to the masses, Gandhi said he hoped for a greater future for every Indian and on that note, commended the state of West Bengal for taking the initiative to combine all forces to fight against the BJP.
‘Please Break Your Silence’: Shatrughan Sinha to PM Modi on Rafale
According to state Congress sources, the party unit was not keen on Mallikarjun Kharge and Abhishek Singhvi attending the rally as it would send a wrong message to its workers who are fighting against the TMC in West Bengal, as reported by PTI.
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday, 18 January, said the entire nation was united to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre, as reported by PTI.
He praised West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC President Mamata Banerjee and termed her efforts to make way for a secular government in the country as "historic".
"Mamata is a great leader. She is hard working and such people are required in politics," Gowda said on his arrival here ahead of Saturday's mega Opposition rally.
"Her decision to make way for formation of a secular government is historic", he added.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar lauded Mamata Banerjee's efforts to bring all Opposition parties on one platform, reported PTI.
"Mamata has taken the initiative to bring all political parties together," Pawar said.
"BJP is spreading canards across the country. There should be an end to it," he added.
The TMC chief also called on Pawar at a city hotel where he was staying.
Describing the TMC supremo as a "great leader", former Arunachal Chief Minister Gegong Apang said that her initiative would turn out to be a great success in defeating the Narendra Modi government in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
We welcome @mkstalin, President of @arivalayam, to the historic rally at Brigade Parade Grounds #BrigadeChalo pic.twitter.com/6QStiKijan
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 18, 2019
We welcome @hd_kumaraswamy, Chief Minister of Karnataka, to the historic rally at Brigade Parade Grounds #BrigadeChalo pic.twitter.com/nTa8nFWFWb
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 18, 2019
We welcome @ncbn, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, to the historic rally at Brigade Parade Grounds @JaiTDP #BrigadeChalo pic.twitter.com/PtWf6OqcBe
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 18, 2019
We welcome Satish Chandra Misra, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), to the historic rally at Brigade Parade Grounds #BrigadeChalo pic.twitter.com/Foq32n8W18
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 18, 2019
We welcome @HardikPatel_, youth leader, to the historic rally at Brigade Parade Grounds #BrigadeChalo pic.twitter.com/55qUeMAfCh
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 18, 2019
Farooq Abdullah from J&K National Conference (JKNC) party, Ajit Singh from Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) party, arrived in Kolkata, along with Congress National Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, for the historic rally at Brigade Parade Grounds in the city.
Praful Patel from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also arrived in Kolkata to attend the mega rally.
Only few hours to go for the historic 'United India Rally' at Brigade Parade Grounds. I welcome all national leaders, supporters and lakhs of people to participate in today's rally to pledge to build a stronger, progressive and united India #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 19, 2019
“Ye sab thake huye pite huye pehelwan hain jo akhaade mein ja kar phir apni qismat aazmana chahte hain. Pehla gathbandhan(in Karnataka) hi is haal mein hai toh aage kya hoga” (translated: These are all beaten wrestlers who want to try their luck again in the playing field. If the first mahagathbandhan is this way, then what does the future hold?)
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has arrived in Kolkata to participate in the United India Rally, according to several media reports.
“This time we will have to uproot the BJP from power”, said JMMP leader Hemant Soren, urging the Opposition leaders to fight in unison. Soren had also alleged that the BJP was dividing the nation.
Former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Gegong Apang alleged that democracy was at its worst, taking the example of the CBI crisis. “The people in Delhi have divided the country, especially the north-east.” Apang had recently quit the BJP, alleging that the party had become a ‘platform to seek power.’
Speaking after Apang, Zoram Nationalist Party’s Lalduhawma said, “We are confident that the leader who could transform WB in such a short period of time, can lead the country too.”
Dissenting BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha arrived at the United Rally in Kolkata to show his support for the Opposition.
RLD’s Jayant Singh said “Even when Mamata di was not CM, we know how much she struggled for the people.”
Batting for a government of the people, Singh said he would ensure that the allied government would not be "a burden on the farmer’s pocket."
Calling for a face against the BJP, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said, “We want one umeedwaar against BJP. Modi mudda nahi hai. Mudde mudda hai.”
Appealing to the Opposition leaders, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said: “I appeal to all the Opposition leaders to fight against this government which has such vile ideology; we need to weed this government out.”
He further said that the BJP government’s motto, which began with ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, has resulted in ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Naash’.
“Up until now there was one person uniting the opposition- Narendra Modi. Now that Bengal’s sherni has taken the initiative, it will definitely gain fruition.”
“Clouds are parting. A rainbow of political parties is forming. The time for a coalition has arrived.”
Further alleging that the government had destroyed independent institutions, Yadav said:
“There is destruction everywhere. They are destroying the institutions, whether RBI or CBI.”
“The BJP is dividing people on the basis of religion. We must all come together to defeat the divisive forces.”
Stating that the upcoming general elections will be the ‘second freedom struggle’, DMK supremo MK Stalin said the elections will serve as a platform to rid the country of communal politics.
“Till a few weeks ago, Modi claimed there was no Opposition in India. Today he is scared,” he said.
Rudy further said that the primary motive of this ‘united front’ was to push PM Narendra Modi out of power. He also called the Opposition ‘opportunistic’ for clambering atop a ‘united front’.
“Regional parties have worked hard to connect to with the people of the state, concentrating on their problems and issues. We have all strived to protect the interests of our states.”
He also congratulated the leaders present on the dais for "working to save the Constitution and democracy.”
Further alleging that the Modi-Shah duo have been pushing their agenda of hatred in the country, Kejriwal said: “What Pakistan couldn’t do in 70 years, Modi and Shah have done in five years.”
“While the BJP wants to divide India, we want to united it. We want save India, it’s democracy,” said Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu, addressing the rally in Kolkata.
Invoking the various slogans put forth by the NDA government, Naidu alleged that the PM was a ‘publicity PM’, and not a ‘performing PM.’
He also said that the various measures taken by the government, such as demonetisation, were all ‘frauds’.
Reading out a message from Sonia Gandhi, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said; “The elections will be an elections to restore our faith in democracy, to restore our heritage and defeat forces that are trying to sabotage the Constitution of India.”
Kharge then reiterated Gandhi’s message, calling to save the Constitution and democracy by ‘fighting as one’. “I appeal to all to fight to save the Constitution that was written by BR Ambedkar with a lot of thought.”
“To escape BJP, all of India’s political parties has gathered in Kolkata. I congratulate BJP for ruining the sleep of those who do wrong, who have now gathered and are crying ‘bachao bachao’.”
He also alleged that demonetisation was not a party decision, it was announced by the PMO. “If demonetisation were a party decision, then seniors like Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi would have been aware.”
Calling PM Modi a factory of lies, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the PM is a person “who manufactures and distributes lies.”
Tearing into the BJP, Mamata Banerjee said the mega Opposition rally was the beginning of the end for the Modi government. She said, “Modi government is past its expiry date and in the coming days, a new dawn will descend. We will work together and it's a promise.”
Addressing an Opposition rally at Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata called by her, she also promised to work together along with other Opposition parties.
Who will be the prime minister will be decided after the polls, she said.
Claiming that BJP's days at the Centre are numbered, she told the mammoth gathering that the "expiry date of the Modi government is over".
Criticising the BJP, she said, "There is courtesy in politics, but BJP does not follow it. Those who are not with BJP are called thieves." Banerjee also claimed that the BJP does not give respect to many of its own senior leaders and people like Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari are ignored in the saffron party.
"Modi and his associates are now talking of collective leadership, but if BJP wins the Lok Sabha polls these leaders will be ignored again," she said.
Noting that the present situation in the country is of "super Emergency", Banerjee said it is worse than that imposed by Indira Gandhi and raised the slogan of 'Badal do, badal do, Delhi mein sarkar badal do' (change the government).
Addressing a press conference after the mega rally in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee said, “Opposition parties form four-member committee comprising Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Akhilesh Yadav, Satish Mishra and Arvind Kejriwal to suggest electoral reforms to EC before Lok Sabha polls.
Thanking national opposition leaders for lending support to her ‘United India at Brigade rally’, Mamata Banerjee tweeted saying that the main message that emerged from today’s gathering is “BJP hatao, Desh bachao” (Get rid of BJP to save India).
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