Mamata Banerjee said in Panaji, “Bengal is a very strong state. We want to see that Goa is a strong state for future. We want to see a new dawn of Goa.”
Parrying questions about a possible run for the prime ministership, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said her party stood for “Temple, Mosque, Church.”
during the evening, Ms. Banerjee visited Mangueshi Temple at 03:30 pm in Priol, Ponda. She will also visit Shri Mahalsa Narayani Temple at 04:00 pm in Mardol, Ponda. Further, Banerjee will visit Tapobhoomi Temple at 04:30 pm in Kundaim, Ponda.
At first, Ms. Banerjee will chair a meeting with Goa TMC leaders at 10:00 am in International Centre, Dona Paula.
Following this, the TMC National President will interact with the fishermen community at noon in Betim.
After these events, she will hold a Press Conference at 01:00 pm in International Centre, Goa.
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In conclusion, Mamata Banerjee will interact with Civil Society Members at 05:45 pm in International Centre Goa.
Mamata’s visit in Goa: sum up
On her first visit to Goa, after the TMC announced it would contest the upcoming Assembly polls. Banerjee also visited a fish market and three temples and inducted former tennis star Leander Paes, actor Nafisa Ali and several others into the party.
Addressing party workers, Banerjee said, “I am just like your sister. I have not come to capture your power.”
Asked if the TMC’s arrival in Goa will dent the opposition votes and benefit the BJP, Banerjee said, “Only when TMC comes we divide the votes? What about the other parties?… There can be no feudal landlord-giri or dadagiri that only Delhi people will contest elections and others will not.”
At her interactions with TMC workers and civil society members, she said the BJP has often accused her of being ‘anti-Hindu.’
“I am Hindu. Who are you to give me a character certificate? I am also from a Brahmin family but I did not say all this… I will die but I will never divide the country. We unite people…” she said.
Asked if her journey to becoming the next prime minister would start with Goa, Banerjee said, “It is not about PM or not PM, we launched TMC for the betterment, peace and prosperity of Goa. It will start from Goa to India… Like how we fought the battle in Bengal, we will fight all over the country because there are other political parties who are not taking initiative.”
Earlier, visiting a fish market in Betim, Banerjee made four promises to the fishing community, a 2.5 times increase in government subsidy to Rs 75,000. Anglers must pay a minimum selling price, an allowance of Rs 4,000 per month, the formation of a Fishermen’s Welfare Board, and an end to bull-trawling and LED fishing.
She also visited three iconic temples in South Goa — the Mangueshi temple, the Shri Mhalsa Narayani Temple, and the Tapobhoomi temple.
Earlier, in Dona Paula, she inducted former tennis star Leander Paes into the party, saying, “He is my very sweet and cute younger brother.”
Three hundred people have joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) in three different events in Goa’s Panaji, Navelim, and Sanguem area, as per the press note released by the party.
“The entire block-level leadership of Congress party, including President Conceicao Peixote and over 170 workers, joined the Goa TMC in the presence of TMC National Vice-President Luizinho Faleiro in Navelim on Saturday,” reads the release.
As per the release on the same day, a senior Congressman from St Cruz joined the party in the presence of West Bengal Minister of State Shri Manas Ranjan Bhunia and Goa Trinamool Congress leaders Shri Yatish Naik and Shri Mario Pinto in Panaji.
Similarly, over 150 people, including the Sarpanch and four Panchs of Molcornem Panchayat, joined TMC’s Parliamentary leader in Rajya Sabha, Shri Derek O’Brien, and independent MLA from Sanguem Shri Prasad Gaonkar in Sanguem.
Goa Assembly has a strength of 40 members. BJP currently has 17 legislators and enjoys the support of legislators from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), and three independents. GFP and MGP each have three MLAs.
Congress, on the other hand, has 15 MLAs in the house.
