Kolkata: Trinamool Congress will have no alliance with the Congress in West Bengal, party chairperson Mamata Banerjee announced Wednesday, adding that she would take a decision about her party’s stand at the national level after the Lok Sabha elections.
This is a big blow to the INDIA bloc of parties in opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, which has been under tremendous pressure over the hard bargaining among constituents.
Speaking to ThePrint, however, a senior TMC MP said back-channel talks are still on with the front even though the alliance has hit a dead end in West Bengal. “TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that TMC remains in the alliance but will fight solo in Bengal,” they said.
Party sources had earlier told ThePrint that Banerjee was willing to give the Congress two of the state’s 42 Parliamentary seats that the national party had won in 2019, but that the latter wanted more. What made matters worse were the constant attacks on the chief minister and her party by state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury has called her an opportunist, “who came to power in 2011 at the Congress’s mercy”.
Also read: Mamata accuses Cong of delaying seat-sharing talks in Bengal with ‘unjustified’ demand
The two seats Congress had won in 2019 were Berhampore, which was won by MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Malda Dakshin, held by Congress’s sitting MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury. According to sources, for this year’s upcoming general elections, the Congress was bargaining for at least nine to 12 seats in West Bengal. Bengal Congress leaders were also said to be not upbeat about fighting alongside the TMC.
“My party has decided to walk alone in West Bengal. They [the Congress] are holding a yatra [a reference to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra], they come to Bengal. I am part of the alliance, yet they have not even informed me as a matter of courtesy. I have no connection with them when it comes to Bengal. I will think about what we will do at the all-India level after the elections. Right now, there are no talks, it’s a lie and wrong [talk of a state alliance],” said Banerjee, before heading to an administrative meeting in Purba Burdwan district Wednesday.
She added: “The alliance isn’t just one party. The regional parties have come together and suggested that the Congress fight 300 seats. We won’t interfere in that, but if they interfere, we will see what has to be done.”
Banerjee’s statement came a day after Rahul Gandhi claimed that seat-sharing negotiations were ongoing with the Trinamool Congress and that he shared a good rapport with Banerjee.
“I and my party have a good tie with Mamata Banerjee. Our leaders say things about each other… but that is natural. These are not issues that will disrupt anything,” Rahul Gandhi told the media in Assam Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya told ThePrint that Banerjee’s decision to go solo in West Bengal would only result in helping the BJP in the state.
“She has been saying it all along that TMC would fight alone. This is her political wisdom. Congress is prepared to fight alone in Bengal as well. But her decision will only benefit the BJP like it did in other state polls earlier,” he added.
‘BJP has had the last laugh’
That Banerjee’s decision will be of benefit to the BJP was also pointed out to political analyst Bishwanath Chakraborty.
According to Chakraborty, Banerjee has been treading cautiously given the active role central agencies were playing in Bengal, including the allegations of scams brought in against party members.
“This [not aligning with Congress in Bengal] was a decision taken keeping the arrest of her leaders in mind. They [the TMC and the Congress] will now split the minority vote of the TMC because there is no alliance. BJP, however, has had the last laugh as they are sitting on the sideline and watching the Opposition break,” he said.
Banerjee had skipped the virtual meeting of the INDIA bloc on 13 January, chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun, citing pre-scheduled work. But the Trinamool chief has been vocal about her growing tussle with the alliance though she claims she coined the acronym INDIA.
The TMC chief had said Monday , “When I attend [alliance meetings], I see the Left controlling the meeting. I cannot agree with those whom I fought for 34 years [in West Bengal]”.
(Edited Tikli Basu)
Also Read: Congress to begin seat-sharing talks with INDIA allies from 7 January
When will Congress learn its lessons? It is still full of ego.