Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav declared from the Trinamool Congress’s Martyrs Day dais on a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was doomed to perish soon.

The Bengal chief minister alleged that the third Narendra Modi government had been cobbled together by greed and was unstable.

Akhilesh, Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, said those in power now were momentary guests as communal forces are inevitably vanquished.

“This Union government will not last long. It isn’t a stable government. It will collapse soon,” Mamata said at the rally in Esplanade, attended by hundreds of thousands.

The event also sent out a message of unity between the second and third-largest INDIA constituents that together account for 66 Lok Sabha seats (Trinamool 29, Samajwadis 37).

“I fully endorse what Akhilesh said.... The BJP no longer commands a majority (on its own), and given how they came to power — misusing central probe agencies and even the Election Commission of India — they will not be able to retain power long,” Mamata said.

Nine days ago, she had made a similar statement in Mumbai between meetings with INDIA’s Maharashtra satraps Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, trying to rub salt into the wounds of a BJP that is 32 short of majority and dependent on allies.

On Sunday, addressing the gathering after Akhilesh, Mamata tore into the NDA allies.

“Did anyone ever hear of money — or share-trading connivance — being offered instead of ministries? They are cowards, shameless and greedy. They sacrificed their very identities,” Mamata said.

INDIA leaders have alleged a “stock market scam” involving the ruling establishment, pointing to Union home minister Amit Shah’s pre-results advice to people to invest
in stocks in anticipation of a BJP victory, and the incorrect exit poll predictions of a BJP sweep.

Akhilesh said the Union government would collapse mid-term as “communal
forces”, irrespective of temporary success, ultimately taste defeat.

“Those who have ascended to power are but guests for a handful of days.... This Union government will not last and will collapse soon.... Happy days will be here again,” he said.

Akhilesh accused the “communal forces” — unlike Mamata, he did not name either the BJP or the NDA — of plotting to destabilise the nation.

“Such communal forces want to cling to power at any cost.... They might experience transient success but, in the end, their plans will fail,” he said.

Mamata lauded Akhilesh for delivering a body blow to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, where he led INDIA to victory in 43 of the 80 seats, and appeared to suggest the Yogi Adityanath government should have resigned if it had any shame.

“The khel (game) you (Akhilesh) played in UP should have forced the BJP government to resign, but the shameless government continues in power,” Mamata said.

“You cannot make us cower by misusing agencies,” she said, adding that Bengal had a crucial role in upholding the idea of India.

“We will protect Bengal’s identity and Bengal will protect the nation’s identity. The country simply cannot be run without Bengal,” she declared.

Mamata vowed to never compromise with the BJP and asserted that her party and that of Akhilesh would keep fighting together to save the country from the BJP.

“INDIA secured more acceptability than the NDA and its allies. The BJP has lost and is in power only through threats and intimidation,” she said. “But this will not continue long. We will take them on in Parliament.”

Mamata’s nephew and heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee, who addressed the gathering before the Samajwadi and Trinamool chiefs, asked why Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan had not been arrested for the NEET-UG fiasco.