PM Modi threatens Mamata saying 40 of her MLAs are in touch with him; TMC rubbishes statement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday warned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that her MLAs will abandon her after the results of the Lok Sabha polls come and said 40 of them were already in touch with him.

"When the lotus will bloom all over Bengal after May 23, Didi (Banerjee), you will see that your MLAs will also abandon you and run away. Forty of your MLAs are in touch with me even today," Modi told an election rally in Sreerampur in Hooghly district.

"It will be tough for you to save yourself. You have cheated the people of Bengal," he said.

PM Modi said that despite all the attacks and intimidation by the ruling Trinamool Congress, the people of Bengal had only one motto in this Lok Sabha election.

"They have only one motto... chup chap kamal chap, booth booth se TMC saaf (silently vote for the lotus symbol, remove TMC from all booths)," PM Modi added.

The Trinamool Congress hit back at PM Modi by calling it 'horse-trading'. TMC MP Derek O'Brien called out the Prime Minister for his comments on Twitter. Calling the PM as 'Expiry Babu PM', O'Brien wrote that no one would go to him. 

Charging PM Modi with 'horse-trading', O'Brien tweeted, "Expiry Babu PM, let's get this straight. Nobody will go with you. Not even one councillor. Are you election campaigning or horse trading! Your expiry date is near. Today, we are complaining to the Election Commission. Charging you with horse trading #LokSabhaElection2019."

These potshots have taken place just days after PM Modi's interview with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar when the PM said that he has an amicable relationship with TMC president and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. PM Modi went on to say that she sends him Bengali sweets very often and also chooses and sends him kurtas too.