Mamata Banerjee says Modi government’s ‘expiry date’ is over at Kolkata rally

Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday called for a change of government at the Centre, telling a large opposition rally in Kolkata that the Narendra Modi government had reached its “expiry date”. She said a united opposition would win the coming general election.

What she said

Speaking at the Brigade Parade Grounds rally that she had convened, Banerjee promised to work together with the other opposition parties. The question of who would become prime minister, she said, would be settled after the election.

She claimed that the BJP’s time in power at the Centre was running out, and alleged that the party did not respect several of its own senior figures, naming Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari as leaders she said were sidelined.

“Modi and his associates are now talking of collective leadership, but if BJP wins the Lok Sabha polls these leaders will be ignored again,” she said.

‘Super Emergency’ charge

Describing the current situation in the country as a kind of super Emergency, Banerjee argued it was worse than the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. She then led the crowd in a slogan demanding a change of government in Delhi.

What happened next

The Lok Sabha election was held between 11 April and 19 May 2019. The BJP won 303 of 543 seats and the Congress 52, and Narendra Modi was sworn in for a second term on 30 May 2019.

See also: elections and the Congress

Originally published on 19 January 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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