1. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien reaffirmed the party’s stance to contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, alongside a select few in Assam and one in Meghalaya.
2. The statement follows reports indicating renewed discussions between the Congress and TMC regarding a prospective alliance in West Bengal.
3. Despite speculation, TMC remains steadfast in its decision to independently vie for parliamentary seats in the upcoming elections.
Kolkata, Feb 24: Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien reaffirmed the party’s decision to contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, along with a few seats in Assam and one seat in Meghalaya.
This announcement came amidst reports of renewed talks between Congress and TMC for a potential alliance in West Bengal.
Derek O’Brien clarified that there has been no change in the party’s stance, emphasizing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s earlier declaration of TMC’s intention to contest independently.
He stated, “A few weeks ago, Mamata Banerjee stated that TMC is fighting all the 42 seats in Bengal. We are also in the fray in a few seats in Assam and the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya. There is no change in this position.”
Also Read: Miscreants set fire to the UCM office in Lamphel, Imphal West district, Manipur
The Congress, on the other hand, recently solidified an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, where they agreed on seat-sharing.
In Maharashtra, the Congress is in alliance with Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, with discussions ongoing regarding seat allocation.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, AAP and Congress are reportedly in talks to contest four and three Lok Sabha seats, respectively.
Mamata Banerjee had previously stated that talks with Congress failed due to the latter’s rejection of her offer and delays in finalizing seat-sharing arrangements.
She also ruled out an alliance with Congress as long as it maintained ties with CPI(M), a party considered a rival.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that TMC had offered only two seats to his party. Derek O’Brien later asserted that Chowdhury’s stance was a significant factor in TMC’s decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections independently.
