1. Mamata Banerjee announces Trinamool Congress will contest the West Bengal Lok Sabha polls independently..
2. Emphasizes the party’s commitment to fighting alone and defeating the BJP in the state.
3. Highlights TMC’s secular stance and clarifies no discussions with Congress regarding seat-sharing.
Kolkata, Jan 24: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has declared that her party will go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.
Emphasizing her commitment to fighting alone in the state, Banerjee affirmed her party’s dedication to defeating the BJP in Bengal, stating, “I am not concerned about what will be done in the country, but we are a secular party, and in Bengal, we will alone defeat BJP.”
Banerjee clarified that there have been no discussions with the Congress, her party’s ally in the I.N.D.I.A bloc. Expressing disappointment, she mentioned that even though she is part of the alliance, the Congress did not inform them about the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passing through West Bengal.
The decision comes in the wake of a closed-door organizational meeting in Birbhum district, where Banerjee instructed party leaders to prepare for solo electoral contests and advised against engaging in seat-sharing talks.
A senior TMC leader revealed, “Our party supremo clearly said that we don’t need to think about seat-sharing talks with the Congress. She said that the party had offered two seats to them. But the Congress at times is demanding 10-12 seats.”
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The rift within the I.N.D.I.A bloc allies over seat-sharing at the state level had escalated recently, with Banerjee criticizing the Congress for an ‘unjustified’ demand for 10-12 Lok Sabha constituencies. The TMC was willing to offer only two seats to the Congress.
Responding to Banerjee’s criticism, West Bengal Congress Chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called the CM an ‘opportunist’ and affirmed that the Congress would not contest elections at her mercy.
Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, dismissed Chowdhury’s comments, stating that Mamata Banerjee is ‘very close’ to him.
Gandhi added, “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. Such comments won’t matter, and these are not going to disrupt things.”
On January 22, amidst the nationwide celebration of the Ram temple consecration ceremony, Banerjee initiated an all-faith harmony rally in Kolkata, diverging from the religious event.
