'Rejection election' for BJP in 2024: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the people to turn 2024 into a "rejection election". "Break the shackles of the BJP and its monumental incompetence. Install a pro-people government," she told the crowd in Kolkata, at a Martyrs' Day rally by her party Trinamool Congress.

She claimed the BJP will not get majority in the Lok Sabha in 2024. "Sometimes the BJP plays the Hindu card, Muslim card, and sometimes the tribal card. But they will not give tribals their rights," she further said, referring to the BJP-led NDA fielding Droupadi Murmu as Presidential candidate.

Ms Banerjee punctuated her speech with some drama on stage. At one point, she held up some muri (puffed rice) – a traditional snack -- to make a point against the recent levying of Goods and Services Tax on essentials that weren't in the GST net earlier. A large cutout of a gas cylinder made an appearance, too. "The BJP has lost its mind," she said.

Then she asked the crowd to pass her some muri, got a bit out of a bag, and called a jhal muri vendor on stage, saying she would certainly pay him. Holding up a tray of puffed rice, she said, "See, they have put GST on muri. Even on mishti (sweets), lassi (buttermilk) and curd... If a patient gets admitted to hospital, they'll charge GST now."

Ms Banerjee was speaking at the party's otherwise annual event that couldn't be held the last two years due to the Covid pandemic. It's more significant now, being the first after the party came to power for a third consecutive term last year.

"Fuel prices have also gone up," she said, this time getting an LPG cylinder on stage. She slammed the Centre over privatisation of banks and accused the BJP of using the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme "to train its own cadres".