Country being run by central agencies, 2024 polls will see people's alliance with TMC: Mamata Banerjee

Claiming that the country is being run by the central agencies, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday in 2024 Lok Sabha polls will witness people's alliance with Trinamool Congress.

Banerjee, talking about the ED's harassment, claimed that till the Meghalaya election results were announced, state standing counsel and her advocate Sanjay Bose's house was raided by the ED from yesterday.

“Yesterday ED raided the residence of our state government’s standing counsel. Is this not political vendetta? I asked him whether the ED officials found anything. Apart from asking questions about you, they made the house disrupted, the standing counsel told me,” Banerjee said. “The country cannot be run only by these (probe) agencies.”

Responding to Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the Election Commission, Banerjee said, “I heartily welcome the verdict by the apex court. Only the judiciary can save our country now. Judiciary is an important pillar of our democracy and it protects our democratic rights,” the Bengal Chief minister said. “Today’s judgement by the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench is a landmark moment. I am really happy that the Supreme Court has given a positive verdict, it is a moral victory of the people.”

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the apex court on Thursday has unanimously ruled that a high-power committee consisting of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India must pick the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).

“I want to congratulate the people of Meghalaya. We started our journey in Meghalaya only six months back in Meghalaya and today we have secured 13.8% vote-share. This will help us to attain the status of national party. We are the principal Opposition in Meghalaya now. In the coming years, we will perform even better,” Mamata Banerjee said.