By IANS,
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief and Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday claimed that the West Bengal assembly polls due next year may be advanced to October if her party won the coming Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections.
“Several states are going to the hustings in October. Along with them we can have assembly polls here also,” Banerjee told mediapersons after releasing her party’s manifesto for the city civic poll.
Pressed on the issue, she said: “We are a political party. This is our political calculation. I know the constitution. Preparations for the elections have to be started six months in advance. And when the polls process in the state has to be completed by May next year, the elections can be held in October”.
Launching her party’s campaign for the civic polls Wednesday, Banerjee had stated that the assembly elections would be held within three months if her party was voted to power in the KMC.
The Trinamool chief said she has spoken to Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the issue, but refused to divulge what transpired in the discussions.
Banerjee appealed to the people not to waste their votes by supporting the Congress. “There are only two contenders here. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left front and the Trinamool. Those who want to defeat the Left Front should ensure there is no division of votes”.
Banerjee said her party would not impose any water tax if it came to power in the May 30 elections.