Kolkata:
The Congress’ optimism of clinching a seat-sharing take care of the TMC to resolve the stalemate within the opposition bloc INDIA in West Bengal was spurned as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her intention of uniting regional events after elections to strategise authorities formation on the Centre.
Regardless of efforts by the Congress to reconcile with the TMC after a seat-sharing impasse in West Bengal, its common secretary Jairam Ramesh remained hopeful about reaching a “mutually acceptable” association with the TMC, regardless of the latter’s reluctance to concede seats within the state to the grand outdated social gathering.
Addressing a authorities programme in Nadia district, Ms Banerjee asserted that whereas her social gathering was eager on forming an alliance with the Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections within the state, it was the grand outdated social gathering that rejected her proposal.
“We wanted an alliance, but the Congress did not agree. They have joined forces with the CPI(M) to assist the BJP in the elections… We are the ones who can fight the BJP in the country,” she added.
Exuding confidence that BJP will lose the elections, Ms Banerjee stated that after the polls, the TMC together with different regional events would determine on the technique to kind the federal government on the Centre.
“If people are with us, then we promise, we will win Delhi (Lok Sabha elections). After the elections, we will do this (form the government) by taking all the regional parties together,” she stated.
Accusing the Congress and Left of collaborating to assist the BJP within the upcoming elections, Ms Banerjee highlighted the failure of seat-sharing discussions with the Congress, attributing it to alleged interference from the Left.
“Just remember Bengal will show the path to win Delhi (Lok Sabha polls). We will win Delhi. We will fight alone in Bengal and defeat the BJP,” she asserted.
Her remarks adopted her current announcement that her social gathering would contest all of the 42 Lok Sabha seats alone within the state, considerably impacting the opposition bloc INDIA in West Bengal.
With out naming anybody, the stormy petrel of Bengal politics took potshots at Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing yatra, which is presently in Murshidabad, questioning, “Whom will you choose, the one who stays throughout the year, or the one who comes like a seasonal bird?”.
Earlier in 2010, throughout Rahul Gandhi’s go to to West Bengal, Ms Banerjee, then on the forefront of opposing the CPI(M) led Left Entrance regime, had equated him with the “cuckoo of spring” (Basanter Kokil), a proverb she used to dub the Congress chief as a politician who solely visits throughout elections.
The Congress, whereas striving to appease Ms Banerjee, expressed hope for a seat-sharing take care of the TMC.
“In an alliance, there’s a give-and-take dynamics. We are hopeful of reaching a consensus on a joint seat-sharing formula in the state that satisfies all parties involved. Mamata ji has expressed her commitment to the INDIA bloc and we welcome this stance,” Ramesh stated.
Regardless of Ms Banerjee’s declaration that she wouldn’t allocate any seats to the Congress, alleging its alignment with the CPI(M) to bolster BJP’s prospects within the state, Ramesh remained assured in getting the TMC alongside within the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.
“I have heard about her statement, but it reflects her opinion, not the consensus of the alliance. Both the TMC and the Congress share the common goal of defeating the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Mr Ramesh remarked.
Whereas the CPI(M), Congress, and TMC kind a part of the 27-party opposition bloc INDIA, in West Bengal, the grand outdated social gathering has aligned with the CPI(M) towards TMC and BJP.
Within the 2019 elections, TMC secured 22 seats, Congress gained two, and the BJP bagged 18 seats within the state.
Tensions escalated when TMC’s provide of two seats, primarily based on Congress’ 2019 Lok Sabha election efficiency, was deemed inadequate.
The TMC had beforehand allied with the Congress within the 2001 meeting polls, 2009 Lok Sabha elections, and the 2011 meeting polls, resulting in the ousting of the CPI(M)-led Left Entrance authorities of 34 years.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)