Congress will lose nationally, CPI(M) in state: Mamata said after the victory

Kolkata, May 19: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee said in a press conference at her residence here on Thursday (May 19) that her party earned a massive mandate despite the Opposition putting up a joint fight against her. As the trend showed, the TMC was set to bag over 200 seats of its own, something no party has done by contesting alone since 1967.

The last time a ruling party won fighting alone was the Congress in 1962.

Banerjee, who looked calm during the press meet, said people were asking me why wasn't I smiling despite the win. "To them, I said people's smile is my smile," Banerjee said.

The TMC supremo will be sixth chief minister of West Bengal to win two consecutive Assembly elections, which shows that anti-incumbency is not as powerful a factor in the state.

Banerjee also said an atmosphere of terror was created during the election and people were misled. She said such a situation is not healthy for a democracy.

The TMC chief, who said her elected MLAs will meet on Friday (May 20), the day which will mark the fifth annivesary of her taking oath as the CM for the first time in 2011, and the party will make plans thereafter.

Banerjee also opined that the CPI(M) committed its biggest blunder by reaching an understanding with the Congress for this election. "The Congress will lose nationally and the CPI)M)---in the state," she said.

The leader also said a section of the media in Bengal was serving their vested interests and thanked the national media for "bringing out the truth". "I don't want to name them today," she said.

TMC's actor-MP Dev and the party's Rajya Sabha MP, all-India spokesperson Derek O'Brien and others were seen sitting beside her during the press conference.

Oneindia News