TMC using ‘money power’ to buy votes in Goa, alleges Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao

New Delhi: Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been embroiled in a war of words exchanging one barb after another ahead of the 2022 Goa Assembly polls. 

In a fresh salvo, comparing TMC to BJP,  All India Congress Committee (AICC) Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao accused Mamata Banerjee’s party of indulging in “unethical politics by distributing cash to people”. 

Rao alleged that TMC is “using money power” in the state to “buy votes”. “Trinamool means grass-root politics. Trinamool means to come from below. But in Goa, they are landing on choppers, with money, trying to poach and defect people from other parties especially Congress. This is not from the grass-root. I respect them but what they are doing here is what the BJP does. They are coming with huge money power and trying to buy peoples` votes. They are offering money to people, trying to poach people. What kind of grass-root politics is TMC practising? They are practising the most unethical politics. It is completely unhealthy,” ANI quoted the Congress leader as saying. 

Further, commenting on a possible alliance between TMC and Congress before the Goa polls next year, Rao said, “They are making an attempt (for alliance). I don`t know why they have come there (Goa) and for what purpose. The way they are going is something that I would say is not good democracy.”

TMC earlier announced that it will contest all 40 Goa Assembly seats alone. 

Attacking TMC, Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala had said, “Congress has fought the Narendra Modi-government continuously for the last seven years without bowing down and repressing. We accept our responsibility. We have suffered many atrocities and the Election department of the Modi government i.e. ED, CBI and IT continuously attacked but we endured. Sometimes small political parties get nervous but we do not have any hatred for them and we are still with them. TMC had contested assembly elections in Goa even 5 years ago but then disappeared. Isn`t it election tourism? But such parties look inside themselves and see if they are not supporting BJP.”

Meanwhile, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will begin her two-day visit to Goa on October 28. In a tweet on October 23, ahead of her maiden visit Banerjee had said, “Together, we will usher in a new dawn for Goa by forming a new govt that will truly be a govt of the people of Goa and committed to realising their aspirations.” 

(With agency inputs)

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