Kolkata, Jan 21: The Trinamool Congress on Monday hit back at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his remarks dismissing the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ as “unviable and unworkable” and claimed the mega opposition rally by Mamata Banerjee has shaken the “very base” of the BJP-led central government.

“For the last two days (since Saturday) be it the prime minister or other central ministers everybody is talking about this rally. Though Mamata Banerjee is not in the government at the centre, she seems to be in it. That is why despite being sick Jaitleyji is making such comments,” TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.

“The BJP has realized that their days are numbered … It seems the rally has shaken the very base of the Modi government,” he said.

In a Facebook post, Jaitley had on Monday dismissed the Mahagathbandhan’ as unviable and unworkable and had said it is going to be advantage BJP in the next general election as an aspirational society will not commit a “collective suicide” by voting for a short-lived political alliance.

The BJP leader had left for the US on January 15 for a medical check up relating to his kidney ailment, according to sources.

The two-fold strategy of the opposition parties for the general elections is to pursue anti-Modi agenda and take advantage of the electoral arithmetic, Jaitley said in the post titled ‘Agenda for 2019 Modi Vs Chaos’.

Over 20 opposition parties from across the country had participated in the opposition mega rally at the Brigade Parade grounds here on Saturday and called for fighting unitedly to oust the BJP government.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had at the rally called for collective leadership and raised the slogan ‘Delhi mein sarkar badal do (change the government in Delhi).

The issue of prime ministership would be decided after the polls and the regional parties would play an important role, the opposition leaders had said

PTI