- 3 hours ago
In an exclusive interview with India Today, senior Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has dismissed claims that the party is imploding in West Bengal, despite a massive rebellion where dozens of legislators have aligned with an expelled leader.
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00:00Joining me right now is senior TMC leader and Lok Sabha MP, TMC Mahua Moitra.
00:08Ms. Moitra, thank you for taking the time out and joining us this evening.
00:11My first question, Ms. Moitra, your party is imploding in West Bengal.
00:1559 of 80 have moved away.
00:18Now the TMC is saying that the move by Ritabrata Banuji is illegal.
00:22Well, on the other hand, you've had the speaker who has clearly upheld that
00:28and saying very clearly that he can continue to be the LOP.
00:32His expulsion is illegal.
00:38This, Priti, this is, the party is definitely not imploding.
00:45Mohameda Banerjee and the co-group are the party.
00:48Please understand that what is happening now and playing out for all of India to see
00:53is that the BJP has started even wanting to choose the leaders of the opposition.
00:59Not content with just breaking parties, they now want to make sure that they pick and choose
01:04even the leaders of the opposition in the states that they have won.
01:07So let's start at the beginning.
01:10This election was fought under three very trying circumstances.
01:14Number one is that the Election Commission played as an arm of the BJP.
01:18Number two, that the Central Forces, which is the CISF, the CRPF, and the BSF,
01:25were used literally as the personal private army of the center in winning this election.
01:30And the third is that between 27 and 30 lakh, valid voters who were on the draft electoral list
01:37were under adjudication not allowed to vote.
01:40So under these very adverse circumstances, we went to the poll.
01:43And when the results came out, the BJP had won.
01:47But there were two important things.
01:49One is that the BJP got 2 crore, 90 lakh votes.
01:52The Trinambul Congress, under Mahmouda Banerjee, with her face as the face of the party,
01:59and with our symbol, the two flowers and grass symbol, the Joda Pool symbol,
02:04which Mahmouda Banerjee incidentally has drawn herself,
02:07we got 2 crore, 60 lakh votes.
02:10So the difference in the vote was only 30 lakhs, which is the exact amount of people,
02:15number of people who were under adjudication.
02:18So Preeti, whoever has wanted the BJP has voted for the BJP, correct?
02:232 crore, 90 lakh people.
02:24Those who have not wanted the BJP have voted for Mahmouda Banerjee's Trinambul Congress
02:30as Mahmouda Banerjee's Trinambul Congress.
02:33They have not voted for Ritabratho's Trinambul Congress,
02:35or Akrur Zaman's Trinambul Congress, or Shivali Shah's Trinambul Congress.
02:39Let us be very clear.
02:40The mandate was for the BJP, 2 crore, 90 lakh votes.
02:44The opposition mandate was for Mahmouda Banerjee, 2 crore, 60 lakh votes.
02:49All of these 80 MLA's who have won on Mahmouda Banerjee's Trinambul official ticket
02:54have competed for the ticket, have got the ticket,
02:59have carried out a campaign on behalf of the party,
03:01and have won with Mahmouda Didi as their leader.
03:05Today, what has happened is, the current chief minister,
03:10the BJP chief minister, was once a soldier of the Trinambul.
03:13He's deeply entrenched in the Trinambul.
03:15He knows everybody there.
03:17And he was an MLA in our party.
03:20He was an MP in our party.
03:21He was head of the youth.
03:22He knows exactly what each Achilles heel of each MLA is.
03:27He has done this operation on one is to one on each MLA.
03:31So, one MLA, for example, Sabina Yasmin in Mothabadi,
03:35Mahmouda, has been told the NIA will get you for the Mothabadi violence.
03:39Two other people, Javed Khan, for example, has been told you will be arrested,
03:42your son will be arrested for the illegal construction in your area.
03:46So, each of these people have got some pressure point.
03:49And I'm naming people.
03:50I have no hesitation whatsoever in naming anybody.
03:53Each of them have got some pressure point,
03:56due to which they have been forced,
03:59forced as in willingly forced.
04:00They want to do it.
04:01Nobody can force you to go in and accept Rito Broto
04:04as the leader of this so-called party.
04:07In fact, the chief minister today in the assembly
04:10told this motley crew of MLAs that,
04:14thank you very much.
04:15The police will not harass you anymore
04:18because you have kept my honor.
04:20You have acceded to my request
04:22and accepted Rito Broto as the leader of the opposition.
04:26So, this entire operation has been carried out by the BJP
04:30and our view as a party is very clear.
04:33These MLAs, if they want, they should go resign
04:36and go win on Rito Broto Congress.
04:38Nobody is stopping them.
04:40Trinambul Congress is Mahmouda Banerjee's party.
04:42We are MPs from the Trinambul Congress.
04:44I, Mahua Moitra, cannot go and win independent out of Krishna Nagar.
04:48Mahmouda Banerjee has given me a ticket.
04:50I have gone and won.
04:51So, tomorrow if 60 has left, let other 10 leave.
04:54We have no problem.
04:55Mahmouda Banerjee started as a sole MP.
04:58She fought for 28 years and is where she is.
05:00She will fight again.
05:02We will fight again.
05:03Why 60?
05:04Let another 10 go.
05:05Let 20 MPs go.
05:07I believe a senior MP of ours
05:09because her son was denied a ticket
05:10and is now upset because she was removed his cheek whip,
05:14is fixing a meeting with Amitra.
05:15It's taking 16 MPs to go and meet with Amitra.
05:18Please go.
05:19By all means, go.
05:21This is the Trinambul.
05:23We know something.
05:24We are actually very happy.
05:26We are actually very happy
05:27because Mahmouda Adi is a very forgiving person.
05:30We have had these people who are completely useless,
05:33who have been in the party,
05:34riding off of Mahmouda Adi's charisma
05:36and taking advantage of the party.
05:38Please go on your own today.
05:40Be part of your Ritabrata Congress.
05:42Do whatever you have to do.
05:43But don't call yourself the Trinambul Congress.
05:45The Trinambul Congress is Mahmouda Banerjee's party.
05:47We will start afresh.
05:49We are here to defeat the BJP.
05:51We are not here to do deals with the BJP.
05:53So 58, yeah.
05:56All right.
05:56But, you know, Ms. Moitra, okay.
05:57You said you don't want to name that person.
05:59That person's name I will take.
06:00Speculation is it's Kakuli Dastidar Ghosh
06:03who is doing so.
06:04But I'll come to that question later.
06:06You know, you made your case.
06:08But you can get into the moral, ethical argument
06:11of that, Ms. Moitra.
06:13This has happened before.
06:14It's played out in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena.
06:16It's played out in Maharashtra with the NCP.
06:19It's happened before, ma'am.
06:20The moral ethics of it is a different story.
06:24There's a difference.
06:25There is a big difference.
06:26There's a big difference between Maharashtra and here.
06:28In Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde was a soldier of the party.
06:32He was born and brought up in that party.
06:35In this case, the LOP is a first-time MLA
06:38who was expelled from the left
06:42and who has been expelled from our party.
06:45But, Ms. Moitra, the election commission
06:47is not going to look at that.
06:48No.
06:48The election commission is going to look at hard-cold numbers.
06:51Even if he was elected for the first time,
06:53even if he was expelled by Mamata Banerjee,
06:55Ritu Brata now enjoys two-third majority of your party.
06:59The party symbol, the party name,
07:01could very well go to him.
07:05Excellent.
07:06Mamata Banerjee, please understand.
07:08Mamata Banerjee, when she left the Congress,
07:10picked up a pen and paper,
07:12drew this symbol and got it.
07:13A person who can draw her own symbol
07:15and fight and become a three-term choice minister
07:18will fight and create another symbol.
07:20We don't care.
07:21They can take any picture.
07:22They can take any symbol.
07:24They will never be the Tridhamul Congress.
07:25This motley crew is going to be the Tridhamul Congress.
07:28Till yesterday, they were standing outside
07:30Mamata's office and Abhishek's office
07:31with folded hands, wanting to become ministers.
07:34These people are going to be Tridhamul Congress.
07:36The problem is, you know, Priti,
07:39the problem is that 15 years of staying in power,
07:42as we say in Bengali,
07:43they have been in the middle of the country.
07:44They cannot be in opposition anymore.
07:46They have forgotten what it is to be in opposition.
07:49They have lost the stomach for a fight.
07:51They don't want to fight the BJP.
07:53They don't want to fight the police.
07:54They don't want ED.
07:55They don't want CBI.
07:57They just want to play safe.
07:59But they also don't want Abhishek Banerjee, Ms. Moitra.
08:02Why is there so much angst against Abhishek Banerjee and not Mamata Banerjee?
08:06You call them a motley crew, but this motley crew says,
08:08we accept Mamata Banerjee as our leader,
08:11but we are against domestic politics.
08:12We reject Abhishek Banerjee.
08:15So, oh, so if their angst is against Amite Banerjee,
08:21one and a half months ago,
08:22when Abhishek has been National General Secretary of the Trinomood,
08:25he is leader of the parliamentary party.
08:27So, if their angst, this great angst is against Abhishek Banerjee,
08:31then why didn't they do what Humayun Kabir did?
08:33Humayun Kabir said, I don't want Mamata.
08:35I don't want Abhishek Banerjee.
08:36I have a problem.
08:37I'm setting up my own party.
08:38He contacted on his own symbol and won Tusi.
08:41Why didn't any of these 58 MLAs,
08:44including eight from Mushidabad and four from Malda,
08:48make their own party?
08:49Then go and fight on them.
08:50If Abhishek is bad today,
08:52he must have been just as bad one and a half months ago.
08:55Then why were you lying prostrate outside Abhishek's office,
08:58waiting for a call for Kamak Street
08:59to make sure you got your ticket?
09:02What are you talking about here?
09:04Who is Ritav Rato?
09:05Who is he?
09:06Has he been in our party?
09:07Has he fought the fight?
09:09He was expelled from the left.
09:10We should never have taken him.
09:11This is also a lesson to Mamata Banerjee.
09:13Stop forgiving.
09:14Stop forgiving.
09:16Over and over again,
09:17Didi has learned the hard way.
09:18And I am glad because this time,
09:20we will not let her.
09:21All of us who are in the party,
09:23we will not let her.
09:23Today we are hearing that our ex-Chief Whip,
09:26because she has been removed from Chief Whip,
09:28is setting a date with 16 MPs
09:29to go and sit with Amit Shah.
09:31Please go ahead.
09:33I am not naming anybody.
09:36I am not naming.
09:38I am not naming anybody.
09:40But let me name.
09:41Okay, you are not naming anybody,
09:42but Ms. Moitra, let me name.
09:44The name is Kakoli Dastidar Ghosh,
09:45who you are speaking of.
09:46But she is not alone.
09:48Just 10 minutes ago,
09:49we spoke to Sukendu Sarkar Roy,
09:50who said more will leave.
09:52He says 20 MPs will leave.
09:54That means,
09:54you are going to lose
09:55two-third majority in the Lok Sabha as well.
09:57You are going to lose your party
09:58in the Lok Sabha as well.
10:00And you are 13 in Rajya Sabha.
10:01So he is apparently mentally off the Trinambul.
10:05My dear sir,
10:06you are two-time, three-time Rajya Sabha MP.
10:08If you are mentally off,
10:09why don't you do what your Sarkar did and resign?
10:12If you are so upset with this party,
10:14if RG Kaur was such a stain you couldn't take,
10:17why don't you resign?
10:19What is stopping you?
10:20Today, if I don't want the Trinambul Congress,
10:22my resignation will be on the table.
10:24What is stopping Sukendul Shekhar from resigning?
10:28His love for the Air India ticket?
10:30What is it?
10:31Why are you sitting there
10:32and saying you are mentally off the Trinambul?
10:34If you are mentally off the Trinambul,
10:35the Trinambul is off you, sir.
10:37Please resign.
10:37Do what Jawad Sarkar did,
10:39which is the noble thing.
10:39Resign.
10:40But Ms. Moitra,
10:41but Ms. Moitra,
10:42he is not just saying...
10:42The chief of the ex,
10:43he is also saying what?
10:44But Ms. Moitra,
10:45he is not just saying
10:46that he is going to resign.
10:47He is also saying
10:4720 others are going to resign.
10:49That means that
10:50the party will break again
10:52in Lok Sabha
10:53and you lose your party
10:54in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well.
10:56You have 28 in Lok Sabha,
10:5713 in Rajya Sabha.
11:00So good, good, good.
11:03We don't lose our party.
11:05We don't lose our party.
11:06Mamata Banerji will create another party.
11:08She is the original party.
11:09We don't lose another party.
11:11Please understand this.
11:12Tomorrow any motley crew
11:14of opportunists
11:15and people who want to live the easy life
11:17takes the symbol
11:18doesn't mean we go.
11:19Mamata Banerji created the Trinambul.
11:21Please understand.
11:22She didn't inherit it.
11:23This is not the Congress.
11:25This is not the BJP.
11:26This is the party
11:26that she has created herself.
11:28She will create alive
11:30and well and kicking
11:30and rearing for a fight
11:32and we are all with her.
11:34A person who can draw a symbol
11:35and create a party
11:36will draw a symbol
11:37and create another party.
11:38Do any of these,
11:39if Kakoli walked on the road in Delhi,
11:41do you think anybody
11:41would sit with her?
11:42Today, apart from Amit Shah,
11:43who will sit with them?
11:44Who are these 18 MPs?
11:46Who are these actresses
11:48who are saying,
11:48oh, we are sick of the party right now.
11:51The party has used us.
11:53The party has used you.
11:55Some has-been actresses
11:57who have got,
11:57I think the parties use them.
11:59Please go.
12:00Some doctor who was a Sarkari doctor
12:02was picked up by Mamata Banerji
12:03and given a ticket
12:04and today she is saying,
12:05oh, I don't know what to do.
12:07Please, madam,
12:08go to the BJP.
12:09Don't tell us what you need to do
12:10because if it is not clear,
12:11Mamata Banerji has picked you out
12:13as one of 74 women
12:15to sit in the lower house of India.
12:17You would have lived and died
12:19and nobody would have known your name.
12:20You've become an MP
12:21and today you're saying,
12:22oh, I don't know what to do.
12:24Please go.
12:25Please go to Amit Shah.
12:26We want these people to go
12:28because the fight that is ahead
12:29in 2029,
12:30we don't want these people in our party.
12:33I'm very glad this has happened.
12:35I'm very glad that we know
12:37who is on this side of the Rubicon
12:38and who is not.
12:39Two months ago,
12:40you were dying
12:41because your son didn't get a ticket.
12:43You were so upset
12:44because your son was not given a ticket
12:45and today you are fixing up
12:46the meetings with Amit Shah
12:47to take 20 MPs.
12:49Please go.
12:50Please go.
12:51Let 20 go.
12:52Let them go.
12:53Let them do lead limitation.
12:54We will remain 10 on one side.
12:56We will remain 9 on one side.
12:57We will fight and come back in 29
12:58and we will defeat the BJP.
13:00Please mark my words.
13:02All right.
13:03But Ms. Moitra,
13:04one final question before you go.
13:05You keep saying
13:06we will fight in 2029
13:07and we will come back
13:09but 2029 is far off
13:10from where we stand.
13:13The ED,
13:14the CBI,
13:15the CID
13:15are all going after
13:16Abhishek Banerjee.
13:17So he has his back
13:18towards the wall
13:19where Mamata Banerjee is concerned.
13:21I'm not the one for ageism
13:22but she is aging.
13:24By 2029,
13:25Mamata Banerjee
13:26would be a certain age as well.
13:28How are you going to
13:29mount this fight
13:30where you will not have
13:31half the cadre
13:32which would have defected
13:33already either
13:34to the BJP
13:35or to this new party
13:36which will be the TMC by then?
13:39How are you going to mount
13:40this fight in 2029?
13:42Priti,
13:43this party was made of its workers.
13:45This party was not made of
13:47these
13:49people have come
13:51as we have come to power
13:52in the last 15 years.
13:53I have joined this party
13:54before we came to power.
13:56I have seen many people
13:57come and go
13:58and come and go
13:59and rise much higher
14:00than maybe
14:01a lot of old timers have
14:03but I don't grant them
14:04I don't begrudge them that.
14:06Today,
14:06it is clear for everyone
14:08to see
14:08Abhishek is a strong man
14:10and he will bear it.
14:12His DNA is not to compromise
14:14whether he goes to jail
14:15whether he does everything
14:17everybody will see
14:18what the BJP is doing.
14:19They came after me.
14:20They put ED, CBI
14:21they are still after me.
14:23I haven't backed down.
14:24I came and won and came back.
14:26So what?
14:27We are fighters
14:28and we are here
14:28to defeat the BJP.
14:29We are not opportunists
14:30like these 58 of them
14:31who want an easy life
14:33who want security
14:34who want the OC
14:35to listen to them
14:35who want the BDO
14:36to listen to them
14:37and who want to do deals
14:38with Chivendu Adikari.
14:39I am sorry.
14:40If you are
14:41if a four-time MP
14:42of our party
14:43who has been given so much
14:45whose husband was a minister
14:46who has been given so much
14:48head of the Mahila Congress
14:49on our panel
14:50chief whip of our party today
14:51is thinking that
14:52she is going to go
14:53and talk to Amit Shah
14:54and organize a meeting
14:56for Amit Shah
14:57and that is going to
14:58take her to great places
14:59by all means.
15:01By all means
15:02go ahead
15:02we will see how long you last.
15:03By all means
15:04go ahead.
15:05Let me once again
15:06name who you are speaking of.
15:07You are speaking of
15:08Kakoli Dastidar Ghosh.
15:10We are going to leave it at that
15:11Ms. Moitra.
15:12Thank you
15:12for taking the time out
15:14and joining us.
15:15Because there you see it
15:16the split wide open
15:17where TMC is concerned
15:18but certain MPs now
15:19sticking with Mamata Banuji
15:21and saying
15:22bring it on
15:23like Mahua Moitra.
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