Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday declared that her party would fight the Lok Sabha elections 'alone' in West Bengal, signaling a split in the opposition INDIA bloc. CM Mamata Banerjee's statement drew sharp reactions from several political leaders. Amid the ensuing chaos, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said “the INDIA bloc is not conceivable with Mamata Banerjee”.
Jairam Ramesh, who is in Assam's Barpeta along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, said, “TMC is a pillar of the INDIA alliance. We cannot imagine the INDIA alliance without Mamata ji.”
Jairam Ramesh said Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party is an “important pillar” of the opposition alliance. “Banerjee said that defeating the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls is the prime responsibility of all of us,” Ramesh added.
Jairam Ramesh said, “You have not read her entire statement. Her entire statement is that she wants to defeat the BJP and will not step back for that. However, with this we (Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra) enter West Bengal. When we go on a long journey, the speed breaker comes and the red light comes on.”
“Red light and speed breaker do not mean the journey ends. Rahul Gandhi was asked the same question and he said that Mamata Banerjee is an important leader of INDIA bloc. Mamata ji is also a tall leader of the country, West Bengal. Rahul Gandhi said. We cannot imagine the INDIA bloc without Mamata Banerjee,” said Jairam Ramesh.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that she has not spoken to anyone in the Congress about seat-sharing in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Her comments come a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in Assam that seat-sharing talks were underway with TMC.
“I have not spoken to anyone in Congress (about seat-sharing),” Mamata Banerjee told reporters before leaving for Purba Bardhaman, where she will chair an administrative review meeting.
“Let Congress fight for 300 seats on its own. The regional parties are together and can participate with the rest. However, we will not tolerate any interference from them (Congress),” she said.
The TMC, Congress and CPI(M) are part of the 28-party opposition bloc INDIA.
“Sign of desperation,” said Amit Malviya, head of BJP's IT cell
Minutes after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced that she will fight the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal alone without sharing any seats with the INDIA bloc in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Amit Malviya, chief of the IT cell of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), that this is the case. a sign of desperation.
“Mamata Banerjee's decision to fight alone in West Bengal is a sign of desperation. Unable to maintain her political stance, she wants to fight for all the seats, hoping that she can still be relevant after the elections,” Malviya said in a message. on 'X'.
Malviya said the West Bengal Chief Minister wanted to be “the face of the opposition” but no one had suggested her name.
“Very much against her wish to become the face of the opposition alliance, no one ever suggested her name. Her several trips to Delhi, to build a national profile, have not worked,” Malviya said.
“The fact that her announcement to go solo comes just before Rahul Gandhi's circus arrives in Bengal is a death blow to INDI Alliance…,” Malviya added.
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