In a major setback to the INDIA bloc, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the TMC would go solo in West Bengal for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and not form any alliance. This comes just a day before the Rahul Gandhi led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) is set to enter the state, as per the schedule.
Banerjee, who has so far been very active in the INDIA alliance talks said she has decided to fight the BJP ‘alone’ in West Bengal. The CM also said that she has not been informed by Congress leaders of the yatra’s entry into the state, even though she is part of the INDIA bloc.
Banerjee’s statements follow a series of consistent potshots taken by Congress West Bengal president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who most recently said that the party does not need “generosity” from TMC to win elections, and that Banerjee became CM in 2011 because of Congress’ support.
After Banerjee’s statement, the Congress quickly entered damage control mode, asserting how important the leader is for INDIA bloc. But it will take more to assuage Banerjee, who was so far willing to part with 2 of the 42 parliamentary seats in the state.
What Mamata Banerjee Said
Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, Banerjee announced her intention to fight solo in the Lok Sabha polls.
"I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we will alone will defeat BJP,” Banerjee told reporters.
The West Bengal CM further said that she has not been invited for, or informed about, the BJNY entering the state on Thursday.
"They did not even bother to inform me that they will be coming to West Bengal as a matter of courtesy even though I am a part of the INDIA bloc. So there is no with relation with me as far as Bengal is concerned,” Banerjee said.
Moreover, Banerjee emphatically spoke for the need to protect regional parties, and for national parties to not interfere in their respective states. "We will decide on what to do at the all-India level. We are a secular party. We will do whatever we can to defeat the BJP. The alliance does not comprise any one party. We have said that they should fight in some states and the regional parties should be left to fight alone in the other states. They should not interfere" she said.
Banerjee had earlier hinted that she would be willing to part with 2 seats and give them to Congress to fight solely on.
“My initial proposal has already been rejected by them. Then our party took a decision that we will fight alone in Bengal,” Banerjee said.
Congress West Bengal President's Potshots At Banerjee
However, Congress’ Chowdhury had hit out at her for proposing just two seats.
"The real intention of Mamata Banerjee is out. They are saying that they (TMC) will give two seats (to Congress) in West Bengal. Those seats already have Congress MPs. What new are they giving us? .We won these two seats by defeating Mamata Banerjee and the BJP. What favour are they doing to us?,” Chowdhury had said.
In 2019, Congress had won two seats from West Bengal—Baharampur, which is Chowdhury’s own seat, and Maldaha Dakshin, won by Congress’ Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury. The TMC had won 22 seats, and the BJP 18.
“The Congress party knows how to contest elections. Mamata Banerjee is an opportunist; she came to power in 2011, with the mercy of Congress," Chowdhury said in a recent press conference.
"The negotiations on seat-sharing are underway, I don't want to comment here. But Mamata Banerjee is very close to me and our party. Sometimes our leaders say something, their leaders say something, and it goes on. It's a natural thing. Such comments won't matter and these are not things that are going to disrupt things," Gandhi had said on Tuesday.
'Cannot Imagine INDIA Without Banarjee': Congress Attempts Damage Control
Despite Gandhi’s statement, Banerjee came out next morning all guns blazing.
After that, the Congress party attempted to salvage the relationship with the TMC supremo.
“The TMC, especially Mamataji, she is a big leader… a very important pillar of the INDIA alliance. We cannot imagine the INDIA bloc without Mamataji… We are hopeful that the talks are on… Some middle path will emerge and the INDIA bloc will fight the elections in West Bengal as an alliance and there will be cooperation among all the parties,” Jairam Ramesh, Congress’ general secretary in-charge for communications, said.
He also reacted to Banerjee’s complaint of not being informed about the yatra entering West Bengal.
“The Congress president had spoken, Rahul Gandhi had spoken, the AICC in-charge had spoken… (Congress president Mallikarjun) Kharge said in public meetings that all the INDIA parties are being invited and that he has spoken to all the INDIA parties. I don’t know in what context she has said that, but I saw that she has also said that defeating the BJP was her priority,” Ramesh said.
The leader also tried to play down the blow up, calling it a mere speed breaker.
“When you are on a long journey, there will be speed breakers on the way at times, there will be red lights… That doesn’t mean we will step back. Chalta rahta hai (Such things happen), we cross the speed breakers, red lights will turn into greens,” he added.
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