West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, launched a scathing attack on her alliance partner, the Congress party, questioning its ability to secure even 40 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This criticism follows her recent decision to contest all 42 seats in the state independently, dealing a significant blow to the opposition coalition.
“I doubt if you (Congress) will win 40. I was offering two seats and would have let them win. But they wanted more. I said okay, contest on all 42 then. Rejected! There has been no conversation with them since,” Banerjee stated, as reported by ANI.
Expressing her disappointment with the lack of communication regarding Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s visit to Bengal, Banerjee remarked, “They have come to do a program in Bengal but did not even inform me as an INDIA bloc member. I got to know through administrative sources. They had called Derek to request that the rally be allowed to pass through.”
Days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had mentioned Mamata Banerjee’s closeness to him and the Congress party amid the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations between the two parties. “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,” Gandhi had said in Assam.
Banerjee also threw a challenge at the Congress, daring them to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. “If you have the courage, defeat the BJP in UP, Banaras, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh,” she asserted.
Also read: Prashant Kishor Criticizes Timing of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ Ahead of 2024 Elections
She firmly ruled out any possibility of an alliance with her arch-rival, the CPI (M), citing their alleged involvement in the killings of opposition activists during their rule in the state. Both the CPI (M) and Congress are members of the INDIA bloc.
The Trinamool Congress has repeatedly accused the Congress of delaying seat-sharing talks. Moreover, continuous attacks by the Congress’s Lok Sabha leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on the CM have sparked strong reactions from the TMC.
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