Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has termed BJP’s ‘Rath Yatra’ as ‘Ravana Yatra’ and announced a ‘Pavitra Yatra’ to purify Bengal as an aftermath of it, while vouching to win all 42 constituencies in West Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing the party’s extended core committee meeting on Friday, Banerjee criticised the BJP’s ‘Rath Yatras’ (chariot rallies) scheduled on December 5, 7 and 9 from Birbhum, Coochbehar and Gangasagar in South 24 Parganas district.

She said, “This is ‘Ravana Yatra’ not ‘Rath Yatra’. They are doing divisive politics. They are the name changer, policy changer, note changer and danger to India. ‘BJP bhagao…Desh bachao’.”

“I would like to announce today that Trinamool Congress will take out ‘Pavitra Yatra’ a day after BJP’s ‘Ravana Yatra’ in all the places (Birbhum, Coochbehar and Gangasagar in South 24 Parganas). The ‘Rath Yatra’ will pollute Bengal’s soil and we will purify it through ‘Pavitra Yatra’,” she said.

While coming down heavily on Dulal Murmu, MLA from Nayagram in West Midnapore, for depending too much on her to gain popularity in the area, Banerjee said: “If I do everything, then what will you do? I will not tolerate complacency in work. We all have to work hard to strengthen the party. I will remove leaders who will not toe the party line. If two people leave, then I will induct 10 efficient people in the party.” She said everybody should work hard at the booth level and insisted that the party should stay alert in Jungalmahal, where the BJP is trying to create problems. She added, “I have information that a section of leaders is involved in money-related issues (against the party’s ideology). I would like to warn them.”

While announcing a mega rally in Kolkata on January 19, which senior leaders from other states will also attend, she said: “The rally will be a turning point ahead of the 2019 election.”

“Try to bring back those who left our party due to some misunderstanding. The whole idea is to work hard and together for the betterment of Bengal. I am unhappy with a section of my party leaders who are not concentrating much in their respective areas, while the RSS is actively doing divisive politics. Please stay alert and inform the local police about people coming from outside to create problem in Bengal,” she added.

Banerjee also announced that the TMC will contest assembly polls in other states, including Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand, Odisha, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram in the future.