The next parliamentary polls could be advanced to 2013 from 2014, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee hinted today. She claimed that a political party in Delhi had held a meeting to go for an early election and asked her party workers to stay prepared.
“Any day, we can face election. We have to remain ready. One party has held a meeting to hold the election in advance, though my information may not be correct,” she said. The Congress is the only party in the UPA coalition which can decide on an early election. She could be referring to the Congress.
AFP
“I have got the information. I am not going into details as to who were at the meeting. They deliberated on advancing the Lok Sabha election to 2013,” she said.
If her information is correct then the Congress-led UPA could be preparing for a huge gamble. The government is in a weak position today, hemmed in by a series of controversies and allegations of big-ticket corruption. After a spate of electoral defeats in states, this certainly is not the ideal time for the Congress to think of polls. However, it could be hoping to capitalise on the division in opposition ranks by going for early elections.
Also, the statement could be ploy from Banerjee to make Trinamool workers serious about the party. The party has landed in too many controversies in recent times due to indiscreet action of party workers.
Asking her partymen to behave, she said “we are in the government. We should not do anything so that people misunderstand us.”
With inputs from PTI
