Team News Riveting
Goa, October 29
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that her party Trinamool Congress or TMC stood for “temple, mosque and church”, signalling it wished to expand its footprint among all communities.
The ruling party of West Bengal is on an expansion drive and is focussing on Goa that goes to the polls next year. The Congress has a good base in the state now ruled by the BJP. TMC is literally going to disturb the Congress’ vote share in the state.
TMC, which came into being in 1998, has announced that it will contest all 40 seats in Goa in the upcoming polls. “TMC is a national party and ‘can go anywhere’,” Mamata Banerjee, who is on a visit to Goa said. The party has started the preparation for the same.
Tennis player Leander Paes, actor Nafisa Ali and entrepreneur Mrinalini Deshprabhu joined the TMC in her presence.
Mamata Banerjee said If the TMC came to power in Goa, it would not pursue an agenda of revenge but work for the state. She listed various welfare schemes implemented by her government in West Bengal and said her party could do it in a smaller state like Goa too.
“I will be happy to do it. I am not going to be the Chief Minister of Goa, but I will see to it that there is a policy, mechanism and no corruption in the government,” Banerjee said. “We will work for Goa in a resolute way. It is not that we want to divide votes. You have given opportunity to all (other) parties, now give opportunity to the TMC,” Banerjee said.
The West Bengal chief minister, who arrived in Goa on Thursday evening on a three-day visit, said the TMC did not intend to divide votes in the coastal state, and if it came to power, Goa will not be run from Delhi.