Trinamool supremo likens party's landslide victory over left with 'Freedom struggle'
Trinamool supremo likens party's landslide victory over left with 'Freedom struggle'Drawing parallels between the victory of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal elections and the "freedom struggle", its chief Mamata Banerjee yesterday promised good governance and vowed to end "autocracy and atrocities". Addressing a huge gathering of supporters outside her house here after a historic win over CPI(M)-led Left Front which was in power in the state for 34 years, Banerjee said, "This is a victory of democracy, of 'ma-mati-manush (mother, land and people)."
Illustration/Satish AcharyaBuddhadeb Bhattacharjee resigns as West Bengal Chief Minister. CPI(M)'s star campaigner and West Bengal Housing minister Gautam Deb today conceded that Mamata Banerjee's fight for land and farmers had been endorsed by the people. Deb, who submitted 'documents' to the Election Commission in support of his charges of use of blackmoney by the Trinamool Congress in its election expenses during the phased election, said he would like to extend wishes to Mamata Banerjee.
"We will give good governance, good administration. Not autocracy. We want to see victory of democracy. The atrocities will be stopped. The will of the people will prevail," a visibly emotional Banerjee said. Taking a swipe at the over three-decade-old Left rule in West Bengal, she said, "This is a victory of the people over 35 years of atrocities, deprivation and oppression. "Not only in Bengal and India, people across the world were waiting for this verdict and we express our gratitude to all of them," Banerjee said.
She said her government will bring democracy and end "one-party domination" in every sphere of life. "The win has come after a long struggle and it was just like the freedom struggle," the 54-year-old leader said amid jubilation by her party workers. Banerjee said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had called her to congratulate on the victory of the TMC-Congress alliance. "The Prime Minister is overwhelmed with our triumph," she said. Amid fears that the change of government after so many years might trigger political violence in the state, she appealed to supporters to celebrate the victory peacefully.
"Please maintain peace. Do not fall prey to any provocation. This is the year of 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. We should celebrate our victory peacefully as a tribute to Tagore," she saidThe leader added that the "victory is of jangal mahal (Naxal-affected forested areas of the state), of the hills (reference to northern areas where Gorkhaland movement is on) and of our minority brethren".u00a0 Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday congratulated the TMC supremo for her party's win in the West Bengal Assembly polls.
