'Don’t have to wait till 2029, BJP will go this time', says Mamata

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she believed the BJP would “go” this time and the Opposition would not have to wait until the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, a day after INDIA bloc leaders closed ranks and announced a nationwide campaign over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission.

“We believe that this time the BJP will go and we do not have to wait up to 2029. See what happens. The game has begun,” Banerjee told a press conference in Delhi. She did not specify a timeline or explain the mechanism by which the BJP-led government could leave office before the next scheduled Lok Sabha election.

‘Not an astrologer’

Asked about the possibility of a change in the political situation, Banerjee said developments could unfold in the coming months but stopped short of making a specific prediction.

“See how long it will go on. Two months, three months, six months. I am not an astrologer. But I think, very soon, you will get the good news,” she said.

Her remarks came against the backdrop of a three-and-a-half-hour meeting of INDIA bloc leaders in the national capital on Wednesday, where Opposition parties agreed on a joint programme over the SIR and their allegations concerning the Election Commission.

The Election Commission has rejected Opposition allegations concerning the SIR process and has maintained that its decisions on the exercise were taken with the unanimous approval of the Commission.

Calls for Opposition unity

Banerjee said the Opposition's immediate priority should be its campaign over electoral processes and the functioning of the Election Commission, while stressing that INDIA bloc parties needed to work together.

“We are with the INDI alliance and whatever decisions the alliance takes, we will respect those like a family and work together with unity,” she said.

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the question of who would lead the Opposition alliance, Banerjee declined to frame the issue around an individual leader. She said the INDIA bloc was a “family” and decisions would be taken collectively.

The TMC chief had also argued during Wednesday's meeting that the Opposition should reach out beyond the existing INDIA bloc and attempt to bring other political parties into the campaign over electoral issues. Reports from the meeting indicated that the parties agreed on the need for broader mobilisation.

Targets CEC over SIR

Banerjee renewed her attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whose removal she and other Opposition leaders have demanded amid their objections to the SIR exercise.

“First, Gyanesh Kumar should go. Vanish Kumar, who has made democracy vanish. Secondly, improve the election system. Everyone fights together,” Banerjee said.

She also alleged that the BJP could win bypolls “by force through the EC”, an accusation that has not been established. The Election Commission has rejected Opposition allegations of partisan conduct and maintained that its electoral roll revision decisions followed institutional processes.

Banerjee has repeatedly targeted Kumar over the SIR, referring to him as “Vanish Kumar” and accusing the Election Commission of disenfranchising voters. The poll panel has disputed allegations surrounding the exercise.

Questions 2024 result

Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Banerjee alleged that the BJP had benefited from manipulation, while pointing out that the party did not secure a majority on its own.

“Last time also they won by manipulation. They did not get the majority,” she said.

The BJP won 240 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, below the majority mark of 272, but the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance secured a majority and formed the government. Banerjee's allegation of manipulation is disputed and has not been established as a finding by an election authority or court.

Her remarks came as the INDIA bloc sought to turn its concerns over the SIR and the Election Commission into a coordinated political campaign.

Opposition MPs to march to EC

At Wednesday's meeting, INDIA bloc leaders agreed to organise “Save Democracy” marches across districts from October 2 to 8, accompanied by demonstrations outside district magistrates' offices.

Opposition MPs from both Houses are scheduled to march to the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on October 6. The Leaders of the Opposition are also expected to seek an appointment with the President in the second week of October to present their concerns over electoral processes.

The bloc has also announced plans for five major rallies, including a larger programme in Delhi on November 1. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said after Wednesday's meeting that the parties had agreed on a joint action plan.

‘We are not afraid’

Banerjee said the Opposition would continue its campaign despite its differences across states and emphasised that decisions would be made collectively.

“We are not afraid, we fight. The name of fighting is life. We will fight,” she said.

The TMC and Congress have had differences over electoral strategy and seat-sharing in the past, while the TMC and CPI(M) remain principal political adversaries in West Bengal. The latest Election Commission row, however, has brought the parties onto a common platform at the national level.

For Banerjee, the immediate focus was not on settling the question of the Opposition's leadership for 2029 but on sustaining a common campaign over electoral issues. Her remarks on Thursday sought to reinforce that message, coupling her claim that political change could come before the next Lok Sabha election with a call for INDIA bloc parties to remain united.