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Congress refused coalition, seat sharing with us in Tripura: Mamata (Lead)
Kolkata, March 3 (IANS) Accusing the Congress of total negligence in contesting the Tripura Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she had approached Congress President Rahul Gandhi for alliance but was not listened to.
“I requested the Congress for a coalition (in Tripura). I told Rahul Gandhi that we are new as a party in Tripura. So let’s unite Congress and Trinamool Congress and the hill parties there to fight the election together. But they did not listen to me,” Banerjee said in the wake of Bharatiya Janata Party’s thumping victory in Tripura.
“The Congress showed total negligence in Tripura and did not accept my proposal. As a result they are languishing with 1.8 per cent votes. It is a matter of shame for them,” the Trinamool Congress supremo said.
Banerjee clarified she had proposed seat-sharing agreement with the Congress and other hill parties in Tripura to keep the BJP at bay.
“I also proposed seat adjustment there. I told the Congress that my party is ready to fight 14 seats, let the local hill parties contest 16 seats and you (Congress) fight the rest 30 seats. If such a platform could be formed, getting 15-20 per cent vote share would have been easy. But the Congress did nothing. They supplied oxygen to the BJP,” she revealed.
“If the coalition had happened, I would have held six or seven public meetings there. Maybe, the whole complexion of the election would have changed. But I did not get that chance,” she said.
Terming BJP’s victory in Tripura as “insignificant” vis-a-vis the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said the inactivity by the Congress and total surrender by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist has led the BJP to the victory.
She also accused the BJP of tampering with electronic voting machines and expressed surprise on CPI-M’s silence on the issue.
“I do not know why they did not protest EVM tampering. Why did they not lodge a single complaint to the Election Commission? Is it because they were threatened to be heckled by central agencies? The whole thing is a mystery,” she said.
Earlier, she refused to give any credit to the BJP for its historic victory in Tripura, and termed Saturday’s result as “CPI-M’s loss”.
Banerjee also accusing the ruling party at the Centre of showering money in Tripura and misusing central forces in its favour during the elections.
Taking a swipe at BJP leaders and activists, the Bengal Chief Minister said: “Some are trying to highlight BJP’s victory in Tripura but it is not a big thing. Tripura is a small place with 25 lakh people. A small district like Howrah in West Bengal has more than 38 lakh voters. So there is no point getting overenthusiastic about this victory.”
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.