Kolkata: “Bengal has saved India and decimated BJP’s ego,” said West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee as she abandoned her wheelchair for the first time in weeks with the results of the assembly elections swinging in favour of her party.
Banerjee, who took the BJP head on countering the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans with catch-phrases such as “Khela Hobe” in the run up to the assembly polls, was constantly seen in her wheelchair post suffering a leg injury in Nandigram on March 10.
Despite aggressive campaigning by the BJP and counter “Khela shesh (game over)” slogans, a wheelchair-bound TMC supremo participated in several party events and rallies as she geared up her party cadres to take on a resurgent saffron party.
The TMC chief today walked on her feet as she appeared on cloud nine addressing the supporters outside her Kalighat residence and thanked them for the party’s splendid performance. The plaster was removed a couple of days before. Despite the injury, the chief minister did not put a halt of more than a few days to her state-wide election campaign trail.
(FILE PIC)
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“I would like to thank everyone. Please adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour. I request all to not take out victory processions. I urge everyone to go back to their homes now. Our first priority is to control the Covid outbreak. This is the victory of Bengal,” she said amid pro-TMC slogans.
Banerjee’s comments came as the TMC is all set to form the government for the third consecutive term in West Bengal. The TMC is so far ahead on 216 seats while the BJP is leading in just 71 seats.