“I haven’t had any discussions with them. I had suggested they could contest in 300 seats nationwide and leave the rest for regional parties. However, they ignored my advice. We will decide our course of action after the elections conclude.”
Claiming that the Congress withheld information about Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra schedule in Bengal on Wednesday, an angered Mamata Banerjee declared her intention to go solo in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Bengal.
“I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. 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,” Mamata said.
Mamata’s statements come a day ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reaching Cooch Behar in Bengal. On Tuesday, in Assam, Rahul mentioned ongoing discussions with Trinamul regarding seat-sharing, emphasizing a positive rapport with Mamata. He stated, “We have good ties with Mamata and her party; talks for seat-sharing are ongoing.” Rahul added, “Sometimes our leaders say something, sometimes their leaders say things. None of it will have any impact on the alliance.”
Accusing the Congress of withholding information about Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra schedule in Bengal on Wednesday, an angered Mamata Banerjee declared her intent to contest alone in Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. She emphasized, “I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. 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,” Mamata stated before heading to Burdwan.
Mamata’s remarks come a day before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is set to reach Cooch Behar in Bengal. Despite Rahul’s statement in Assam about ongoing talks with Trinamul on seat-sharing and a good rapport with Mamata, the West Bengal Chief Minister issued a firm denial on Wednesday morning. She expressed, “Nobody has spoken with me. My proposal was rejected on the very first day.”
Mamata had suggested that Congress could contest in 300 seats across the country and leave the rest for regional parties, but according to her, this proposal was disregarded. She asserted, “Congress has no stake in Bengal. We will decide what to do after the elections are over.” Mamata’s comments seem to have solidified the stance against the possibility of an electoral understanding between the two parties in Bengal. The fate of any further attempts from the Congress high command to negotiate with Mamata or align with the party’s Bengal unit remains uncertain, with the proposal to go to polls alone or in alliance with the Left.
On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi is set to enter Bengal through Boxirhat in Cooch Behar as part of his yatra. Following a two-day break on January 26 and 27, he will traverse North Bengal districts on Sunday and Monday before heading to Bihar. In the second leg of the Yatra in Bengal on February 1, Rahul will visit Murshidabad, the only Congress bastion in Bengal, represented by state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Mamata’s claim about being kept in the dark regarding the yatra holds some truth. Congress leaders from Delhi issued an open invitation to all constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to join the yatra as it passes through different states.
During Rahul’s yatra on Tuesday, members of Trinamul’s Assam state unit were observed carrying the party flags, although Trinamul leaders in Calcutta asserted it was not a party decision, a claim contradicted by the Assam unit.
Insiders from both Trinamul and the Congress revealed that no direct communication was made to Mamata regarding the yatra, although some individual leaders in Delhi might have been informed. A Trinamul leader emphasized, “Some of our MPs in Delhi were told, but no one said a word to Mamata di. She is the undisputed leader in Bengal.”
In contrast, CPM state secretary Mohammad Salim received an invitation to join the yatra. Following her peace march on Monday, Mamata expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of respect within the alliance. She stated, “I suggested the name INDIA, but when I attend its meetings, I see the CPM trying to call the shots. I am not given the respect I deserve. I will not take orders from those against whom I fought all my life,” voiced at Calcutta’s Park Circus maidan.
Mamata’s statements garnered a resounding cheer in the saffron camp. BJP Bengal co-minder and the party’s IT cell head, Amit Malviya, interpreted Mamata’s decision to go solo as a sign of desperation. Malviya expressed, “Unable to hold her political ground, she wants to fight all seats in the hope that she can still be relevant after the polls. Much against her desire to emerge as the face of the Opposition alliance, no one ever proposed her name.”
According to Malviya, Mamata couldn’t conceal the aftermath of post-poll violence and the lingering scent of appeasement politics. He claimed, “An embarrassed Mamata, to save face, pitched for Mallikarjun Kharge, ruling herself out in the process. She realized, despite her bluster, she had no currency in the Opposition camp and had been building ground to snap out for long.”
Following Mamata’s decision, the CPM is likely to join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Bengal. Despite earlier reservations about being seen together with Trinamul, the CPM, along with Mamata, attended several meetings of the alliance, including a public meeting in Patna last year.
Let us know your views in comments.