After maintaining silence for a long time, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, without naming Mukul Roy, said on Wednesday: “We had a betrayer in the party who destabilised our party organisation in Tripura and joined the BJP.”

She alleged the BJP, the Congress and the CPI-M were spending money lavishly before the Tripura Assembly poll.

“If we had money, we could have contested in all Assembly seats in Tripura. The richest party is the BJP followed by the Congress and the CPI-M,”she said.

Miss Banerjee on Wednesday said the Trinamul Congress has to play a major role in building a better India in the days to come, a statement seen as a hint at the party aiming to play a significant part in national politics.
She criticised the BJP government at the Centre over the alleged growing intolerance in the country, farmer suicides in Maharashtra following demonetisation and rise in prices of essential commodities including fuel hike, and asked party leaders to launch campaigns every weekend against these issues starting from this Sunday.

“The TMC will not only play a role in rebuilding Bengal, but our party has also to play a role in nation building. The BJP must answer to the people on issues like FRDI bill, farmers’ distress, price rise, withdrawal of railway projects. Who are they to decide that?” the chief minister asked.

The Congress and the CPI-M are silent against the BJP as they are only busy criticising the TMC government and its policies, Miss Banerjee said.

“What they (read the Congress and the CPI-M) have earned during their rule they are using it to survive now when they are not in power. The BJP is spending a huge amount of money in Bengal, but the Congress and the CPI(M) are silent about it,” the TMC chief said.

“When the BJP spends crores, why do the media remain silent? Why do they target only smaller parties? A section of the media has bad intention. They will always criticise and never highlight the positive things. This is a cheap and dirty game,” she said.

With an eye on the upcoming panchayat polls, Banerjee said 8,000 km more roads will be constructed in the districts.

“Panchayat election will be held within the next few months. All pending work must be completed in due time. We have already constructed 23,000 km roads in rural areas. 8,000 km new roads will be built. We have constructed 25 lakh houses for the poor. We will distribute additional five lakh houses,” she said.

Sending out a strong message against a section of party workers allegedly involved in infighting, Banerjee said she will take stern action against those involved in it and trying to weaken the party.