Maharashtra crisis is BJP's ploy to get numbers for Prez poll: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched scathing attack against the BJP over the Maharashtra political crisis and claimed that this is a deliberate ploy by the saffron camp to garner additional numbers in favour of its candidate for the forthcoming Presidential poll.

"The Presidential poll is round the corner. The BJP has approximately 1,00,00 less votes. So, they have chosen this time to topple the Maharashtra government in an unethical manner and using money power," the Chief Minister said.

Seeking justice for Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP is bulldozing democracy and the federal structure in the country. "They are bulldozing the opposition everywhere especially when there are protests against their undemocratic gesture. In Tripura they are not allowing the people to vote freely. In West Bengal, they are hounding us by letting loose the central agencies, the CBI, the ED and National Human Rights Commission," the Chief Minister said.

She concluded with a latent caution to the BJP that some day the latter might be paid back in the same coin. "You will be out of power some day or the other. Then what will you do? So do not try to topple the government using money power. Someday you might also face the same situation," Mamata said.

Meanwhile, her nephew and the Trinamool Congress national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee mounted attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said that at a time when Assam was reeling under severe flood, the Chief Minister was busy hosting rebel MLAs from Maharashtra.

Incidentally, his comments came at a time when his wife was facing the questioning by the ED officials relating to the coal smuggling case in West Bengal.

"As ASSAM DROWNS,@BJP4AssamGovt is busy following orders from Delhi to play HOST to REBEL MLAs. I wish CM@himantabiswa cared more about the flood-affected victims and less about toppling the Maharashtra Govt. PRIORITIES are clear for a REMOTE CONTROLLED SUBSERVIENT Govt," Abhishek Banerjee said in a Twitter message on Friday.

Incidentally on Friday morning, Trinamool Congress workers in Assam also registered protest demonstrations in front of the hotel in Guwahati where the rebel Shiv Sena legislators from Maharashtra are putting up.