Mamata Banerjee writes to Opposition a day before Phase 2 Assembly elections, urges leaders to unite against BJP

Unite against BJP’s “one party authoritarian rule” – this is the agenda that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee presented to Opposition leaders a day ahead of the Phase 2 Assembly elections in the State and urged them to unite against the BJP. 

Banerjee is batting out in the high stakes zone of Nandigram. She also asked the Opposition leaders to come up with the plan of action after completion of ongoing polls. The three-page letter was addressed to over a dozen non-BJP leaders – Congress president  Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, DMK president M K Stalin, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and NC president Farooq Abdullah.

Interestingly, the letter doesn’t address to CMP and CPI. Congress too gave a cold response to the letter. Congress in contesting the left-led front in West Bengal. Regional parties showed some support to the letter, while many raised questions on the timing of said letter. 

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In letter, Mamata Banerjee cited the recent Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Bill that was passed in the Parliament, calling it a way of BJP and Centre “attacking democracy and constitutional federalism in India.” 

She wrote in the letter, “With this law, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has been made the undeclared Viceroy of Delhi, acting as a proxy for the home minister and the prime minister. The government has snatched away practically all the powers of the democratically elected government of Delhi.” 

“The BJP wants to make it impossible for non-BJP parties to exercise their constitutional rights and freedoms. It wants to dilute the powers of the state governments and downgrade them to mere municipalities. In short, it wants to establish a one-party authoritarian rule in India,” she added. 

A regional party leader questioned the timing of letter by Banerjee – it is like only she is and can take the BJP head-on.