Modi’s candidature should be cancelled: Mamata

Bhadreswar (West Bengal), April 30 (IANS) Flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for claiming that 40 Trinamool Congress MLAs were in touch with him and will defect to the BJP once the Lok Sabha election results were out, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded that his candidature be cancelled for encouraging horse trading during the polls.

She also accused Modi of saying "unconstitutional things while holding a constitutional position" and said that he had no right to be the Prime Minister of the country.

"Yesterday he (Modi) said 40 of my MLAs are in touch with him. This will fall under the anti-defection law. He is saying unconstitutional things while holding a constitutional position. Doesn't he have any shame? He is violating the Constitution and has no right to be the Prime Minister," Banerjee said at an election rally here in Hoogly district.

"His candidature should be cancelled. First save Delhi, then try to buy off MLAs from Bengal. It will be of no use. Even if he buys all the MLAs, our government will not fall," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

Addressing a rally in Hoogly district on Monday, Modi had claimed that 40 Trinamool Congress MLAs were in touch with him who will abandon Banerjee once the election results were out on May 23.

The 10th schedule of the Indian Constitution, also known as the Anti-Defection Act, was amended in 1985 to prevent defection and stop politicians from changing parties. It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the presiding officer of a legislature based on a petition filed by any other member of the House.

Banerjee also said that no matter what Modi and his party does, the people of Bengal will never vote a party like the BJP to power.

"Don't expect that people of Bengal will allow the BJP to come to power here. They know that the BJP is a riot mongering force, which wants to divide people," she said.

Taking a swipe at Modi's 2014 poll promise of ushering in "acche din" (good days), Banerjee said the over all condition of the country had deteriorated as farmers have committed suicide, people have lost their jobs and prices of gas and fuel have shot up significantly.