I may lose, but I will stick to my ideology: Mamata

Taking a dig at political parties which criticised her party's failed bid to move no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha as ill-conceived, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that she would stick to her ideology even if she "loses for the time-being".

"You may lose a battle over ideology, but you will win the war if you have tenacity and morals," Banerjee said at a function in Kolkata, without naming anyone.

"I may lose, but I will stick to my ideology, one must not lose patience. Always be constructive and positive, if one avenue closes, there are several others which can be explored," the West Bengal chief minister said at the 80th anniversary of Jogomaya Devi College, of which she is an alumnus.

"As long as I live, I will work for the people," Banerjee, who did student politics here during her college days, asserted.

"I may face criticism for whatever I do. So I will work for the good of the people, whatever may be the reaction," she said.

"Raja chale bazaar toh kutta bhokhay hazaar (when a king goes to the market, thousands of dogs bark after him)," the Trinamool Congress chief said, in an apparent dig at those who have criticised her for tabling the motion.

In a Facebook post after the no-confidence motion was rejected at the Lok Sabha due to lack of numbers yesterday, Banerjee said, "We thought that other members who are so vociferous against FDI in retail and other sectors, and various other anti-people decisions of the UPA government, would join the no-trust move against the government."

"Unfortunately, they did not come forward for the cause of the people, citing various excuses," Banerjee regretted, without naming any political outfit.

The Trinamool chief said that though the motion was rejected on the floor of the House due to numbers, "the 'No Trust' against the UPA government is not rejected by the people of the country. Now, you see the saviours of the government are exposed."

Image: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee

Photograph: Reuters