TMC Leader Abhishek Banerjee Challenges Amit Shah to Contest Lok Sabha Seat

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee issued a bold challenge to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, inviting him to contest against him from the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. Banerjee, who holds significant influence within the TMC, declared that he would retire from active politics if he lost the election.

Addressing supporters at an election rally for TMC candidate Bapi Halder in Mathurapur, Banerjee presented three options to Shah to fulfill his demand. “If you want Abhishek Banerjee to leave active politics, then I would like you to fulfill any of the three options I am providing you today,” Banerjee asserted. “Release the state’s dues of ₹1,64,000 crore and I will retire within 24 hours. The second option is to release the funds of the PM Awas Yojana.” Banerjee then proposed a third option: Shah contesting from the Diamond Harbour constituency and defeating him, which would lead to his retirement from politics.

While Shah currently represents the Gandhinagar seat in Gujarat in the Lok Sabha, Banerjee’s challenge adds a new dynamic to the upcoming elections in West Bengal. Responding to earlier remarks by Shah in Memari, where he claimed that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee wanted him to be the next chief minister of West Bengal, Abhishek Banerjee emphasized the difference in motives between the two parties. “You are in politics for your benefit. We do not do that. We are in politics to address the cause of the people,” Banerjee asserted, drawing a distinction between the TMC’s approach and that of the BJP.

Banerjee also took aim at BJP leaders, labeling them as “outsiders” and “migratory birds” while urging voters to reject them. He specifically criticized Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had campaigned in West Bengal earlier in the day, branding him as the “biggest failure” in governance. Banerjee highlighted incidents of violence and injustice under Adityanath’s rule in Uttar Pradesh, accusing him of mismanagement and negligence.

Without offering further details, Banerjee hinted at impending revelations regarding the BJP’s alleged attempts to defame Bengal for their own interests, urging voters to wait for seven days to witness the truth. His statements come amidst escalating political tensions in the lead-up to the elections, with both the TMC and BJP vying for supremacy in West Bengal. As the electoral battle intensifies, Banerjee’s challenge to Shah adds a new dimension to the contest, promising heightened drama and suspense in the days to come.