Trinamool Congress is not facing challenge from PM Modi or BJP in West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

In a veiled attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, All India Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that she and her party believes in the slogans of 'Jai Hind' and ‘Vande Mataram’, not 'Jai Shri Ram'.

In an exclusive interview with Aaj Tak TV, Banerjee came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, saying let them chant Jai Shri Ram in West Bengal but "we will say Jai Bangla and Jai Hind".

"Our slogan is Jai Hind and Vande Mataram. Don't ask me about BJP's slogan," the chief minister was quoted as saying. "We never do the politics of Hindu-Muslim. Every religion is my religion, every caste is my caste. Why the BJP does this politics, you should ask Narendra Modi," she added.

Expressing confidence over Trinamool Congress' victory in this Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said her party was not facing any challenge either from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the BJP in West Bengal.

"BJP will suffer a massive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election," she went on to claim further. Talking about her political agenda, the Trinamool Congress chief said she believes in taking all communities together.

Being asked about the exchange of barbs with PM Modi on personal matters, the chief minister said, "It is Modi who started it". "I speak about democracy but the words he (Modi) uses are very bad," she said.

During their election rallies, both the leaders were seen targeting each other, continuing the heated war of words in this season of polarised politics. While Banerjee termed the prime minister as "expiry babu", Modi called her "speed breaker didi".

Lok Sabha election in West Bnegal is scheduled to be held in all seven phases between April 11 and May 19. The counting of votes for 42 parliamentary constituecnies in the state will be taken up on May 23.