Host Mamata will be 'listener' at Brigade rally of anti-BJP parties ..... Every party has a vision, this rally will be a confluence of those visions, a grand alliance of people, says Bengal CM

TT, Calcutta: Mamata Banerjee has pitched Saturday’s Brigade Grounds rally as a “United India” platform where other non-BJP forces would be given prominence, appearing to take a backseat at what promises to be one of her biggest gatherings.

“I don’t want to say anything. Let them say. I want to hear them. This is about those coming here for the pan-India BJP fight in the Lok Sabha election. It’s about consensus,” the Trinamul chief said on Thursday during a recce of the venue.

Although Trinamul sources said the event was meant to pitchfork the Bengal chief minister to the pole position in the national Opposition space, Mamata suggested she was content playing the host.

The event, she asserted, is for the national Opposition to sound the “death knell” for the BJP.

Mamata recalled her 1993 rally at the same event where — as a Youth Congress leader — she had predicted the downfall of the Jyoti Basu-led Left government.

“Every party has a vision, this rally will be a confluence of those visions, a grand alliance of people. This is not about individuals or specific parties. This is the United India rally.”

Mamata said the programme will begin at noon but was unwilling to set a deadline for its end as the “priority was to give every non-Bengal representative the chance to address the nation from the Brigade dais”. “So many heavyweight leaders, so many chief ministers, a former Prime Minister, former Union ministers, former chief ministers, chiefs of parties… all will be attending this historic rally.”

Among those who are said to have confirmed participation are Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav, DMK chief M.K. Stalin, JDS leaders H.D. Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy, National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

The Trinamul chief, a strong advocate of federalism and the importance of regional parties, forecast a decisive role for them.

“The regional parties will be the deciding factor after the elections. I cannot say how many seats the Congress will get. It will depend on the elections…. The rest of the parties will play a vital role,” she said in response to a question.

She was quick to add that the BJP “will not get more than 125” of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.

“If they manage 125, that’s about enough.”

The BJP had won 282 seats in 2014.

Asked if she was disappointed that Mayawati may not attend the rally, Mamata pointed out the BSP chief would send senior leader Satish Mishra as her representative.

“This is a big thing for us….(Mallikarjun) Khargeji and (Abhishek Manu) Singhviji will represent the Congress. Everybody is important here,” she said.