‘Do you want to remain PM or be Bengal CM,’ Didi asks Modi
Times of India | 14 April 2026
Suri: In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that he was BJP's candidate in all Bengal constituencies, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked if Modi "wished to be the CM of Bengal or remain the PM of India." "If he is the candidate in all 294 seats, Modiji should resign from prime ministership," the CM added.
Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the PM was merely copying the CM's previous statement that she was Trinamool's candidate in all seats. But there was a distinction between the two statements, according to Ghosh. He argued: "Mamata Banerjee can say this because she is fighting the (electoral) battle herself. But how can the PM make such a claim?"
"If he truly believes he represents every constituency, he should resign and enter the electoral contest to prove his mettle," added Ghosh.
The CM, while speaking at a rally in Suri, was also critical of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's comments while campaigning in Bengal.
"The CM of UP said bulldozer action will take place here as well. I don't believe in bulldozer action. I believe in humanity. We respect all religions and celebrate every festival here," she said.
Referring to the women's reservation bill to be placed in Parliament, the CM said: "Thirty-seven per cent of our elected members in Parliament are women. It's the highest in the country. We have 50% women representatives in panchayats and municipalities. Women are scared in BJP-governed states."
Banerjee had previously indicated that the party would oppose any delimitation move that could alter the state's boundaries. On Monday, she said, "BJP has destroyed the country, democracy and the Constitution."
Taking a jibe at Union home minister Amit Shah, the CM said: "He said he will camp in Bengal. The more he stays, the fewer votes his party will get." She also took on the PM on his claims about generating employment in Bengal. "Ask the PM why he failed to give two crore jobs a year. He talks about generating employment in Bengal while he has taken away jobs in UP, Bihar and Rajasthan," she said.