Addressing a press conference at her residence in Kolkata’s Kalighat after her party’s landslide victory in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said, “I cannot go (to Delhi) right now. I have to oversee the security of the people. I can’t leave the state in the hands of the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces). Abhishek will go.”

Mamata Banerjee said she has sent congratulatory messages to INDIA bloc partners like Tejaswi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Sharad Pawar, wife of Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren’s wife.

“I texted Rahul (Gandhi) too… Maybe they were busy. They have not contacted us yet. But it doesn’t matter if they do or don’t. I always said they (the Congress) will not win more than two (seats in Bengal). You saw what happened,” said Mamata Banerjee.

Mamata Banerjee also said that she had proposed to the Congress to make seat adjustments in Bengal. She said, “I told them that I will give them two seats which they will win. Today’s result proves that I was right.”

She, however, clarified that she was still with the INDIA alliance. “INDIA has won and Modiji has lost… All credit goes to the people. The country has won, the farmers have won, and mothers and sisters have won. I congratulate the people of the country,” the Bengal chief minister said.

“Modiji should immediately resign as he has lost his credibility. Modiji is now falling at the feet of the TDP and Nitish Kumar,” Mamata Banerjee said, taking a swipe at the BJP for failing to reach the magic figure of 272 seats on its own.

Towards the end of the press conference, Mamata Banerjee said that she was yet to get a formal invitation from the INDIA bloc to participate in Wednesday’s meeting, and a decision on whether Abhishek Banerjee will attend the meeting will be taken after getting an invite. However, she asked regional parties that are aligned with the BJP to join the anti-BJP alliance.

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