Bengal polls: Mamata lashes out at ABP Group at rally

Kolkata, May 3: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday (May 2) launched a fierce attack on her opponents, including the Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) Group, saying they would not be able to stop her coming to power again and will be left "sucking on lollipops".

Banerjee said this at a rally in Tufanganj Assembly constituency in the newly formed Alipurduar district in North Bengal, which will go to polls in the final phase of this year's election on May 5 (Thursday). [Why ABP is hell-bent to see Mamata lose]

Putting the media house in the same bracket with the CPI(M), Congress and BJP---three of Banerjee's three main political opponents---the TMC supremo said she would give them a lollipop and baalish (pillow) after the election. She said all her adversaries tried hard to defeat her but couldn't do anything. [Mamata accuses BJP of looting votes; a tactic, say observers]

The ABP Group has launched a campaign against Banerjee in this election as its major dailies and Bengali news channel ABP Ananda have been accused of being partisan in their coverage. Last month, too, Banerjee had accused the media group of conspiring against her party. [4 reasons why BJP will not want Mamata to lose]

Speaking at a rally in Durgapur in South Bengal, Banerjee said the group was the "most destructive element in Bengal" and was deciding who will contest for the Congress from which seat.

Banerjee said the ABP Group was against her for she refused to remove the urban land ceiling and forcefully acquire land from the farmers. "They wanted to control the government," she said.

The Bengal chief minister said the TMC would form the government after this election. The only question is by how much margin, she said.

Oneindia News