CALCUTTA, Dec 29: Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee kicked off her first election campaign here today, announcing 10 candidates for ensuing Lok Sabha elections, but without making public her reported move for poll tie-ups with the BJP.Mamata Banerjee announced candidature of herself, diplomat-turned politician Manishanker Aiyer, bureaucrats Bikram Sarkar (former Calcutta Port Trust chairman) and Dipak Ghosh (former State Food and Supply Principal Secretary), actress Naina Das, former MPs Ajit Kumar Panja and Krishna Bose.
At the impressive rally, where the crowd turned hysteric at times with Mamata Banerjee's thunderous vow to ``root out CPI(M) and cleanse the Pradesh Congress'', she asserted ``we will never sell off our identity to any political party and we will not bow to anyone. We will also not allow anyone to determine our own policy''.
The firebrand leader said she would announce more candidates once Trinamul Congress received its election symbol within two or three days.
Mamata
Banerjee also said the party's election manifesto was under preparation and would be finalized shortly.
Asserting hers as the ``real congress'', Mamata Banerjee dared any political party to underestimate Trinamul Congress which she affirmed, would ``come out with flying colours in the coming elections''.
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
