NEW DELHI – Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of “showing audacityand arrogance”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Friday ithas failed in all respects and will be defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabhaelections.

At a programme of a Bengali TV news channel, she charged the BJP withbringing in “militant Hinduism” and claimed many people had been lynched.”The BJP had secured only 31 per cent votes and won 283 seats (in the 2014general election).

It cannot be repeated. They have failed in all respects and cannot survive(in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll),” she said. “We (TMC) want to see the countryunited. We don’t support militant Hinduism,” said Banerjee, who is also theTrinamool Congress chief and a strong critic of the BJP.

She said in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, regional parties would play a crucialrole and the issue of who will be the prime minister can be decidedlater.”The 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be a people’s referendum. Thepeople will say no to BJP and yes to other parties. A message has reachedthe common people who are the worst sufferers. They want a change. No onewill think twice.

“They will throw out the BJP government. Then the question who will be theprime minister will rise. It will be a collective leadership,” she said.Referring to the regional parties, she said they were becoming strongerevery passing day.