Rahul Gandhi expressed his stance on the departure of individuals like Himanta Biswa Sarma and Milind Deora from the Congress during his engagement with digital media influencers in West Bengal as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. In response to a question about the state of the Congress and Himanta Biswa Sarma’s departure, Gandhi stated, “I welcome the departure of individuals like Himanta and Milind. Himanta’s political approach does not align with the values of the Congress, especially considering some of his remarks about Muslims. I stand by certain principles that I believe are crucial to uphold.”
The friction between Rahul Gandhi and Himanta Biswa Sarma escalated during Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam. Himanta accused Gandhi of instigating unrest in Assam on January 22, while Gandhi labeled Himanta as the ‘most corrupt CM’ in India. Gandhi also mentioned Milind Deora in the context of individuals leaving the party. Deora, a seasoned Congress leader from Maharashtra, departed from the party and joined the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde due to disagreements over seat-sharing arrangements in Maharashtra. Notably, the Mumbai South constituency, which Deora sought to contest, was allocated to Uddhav Sena, as the incumbent MP hails from that party.
Nitish Kumar did not run back to NDA without pressure, Says Himanta Biswa Sarma
Regarding Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA fold, Gandhi suggested that it wasn’t a decision made without external pressures, citing instances of political figures facing questioning and summons by authorities.
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Regarding the alliance with Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, Gandhi clarified that neither the Congress nor Mamata Banerjee had formally announced the end of their alliance. While Banerjee declared her party’s intent to contest the Lok Sabha elections independently, negotiations between the two parties are ongoing, indicating a possibility for resolution.
