'Don't care': Adhir Chowdhury on Trinamool's new plan to contest all 42 seats in Bengal

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he does not care even if Trinamool contests from his seat despite being part of INDIA bloc.

Updated on: Jan 20, 2024, 18:30:48 IST

By HT News Desk

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said he does not care about Trinamool's new plan to contest all 42 seats in West Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. All seats include Adhir Chowdhury's Baharampur too -- though Trinamool is a key member of the opposition INDIA bloc led by the Congress. Adhir Chowdhury has been winning the seat since 1999. "I don't care. Our leaders have spoken on the issue. I have reached here fighting and winning elections. I know how to fight and how to win," Adhir said.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury earlier said the Congress would not beg seats from Trinamool in West Bengal.

At a closed-door meeting of Trinamool's Murshidabad district unit, party chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said TMC should win all three Lok Sabha seats in the district -- Jangipur, Murshidabad and Baharampur. The Trinamool won the first two in the 2019 election, so Mamata's order to her party leaders was a direct challenge to Adhir.

Mamata said the party is ready to independently contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state if her party is not given due importance in the alliance talks.

Seat-sharing talks in West Bengal were supposed to hit a hurdle as Adhir Chowdhury is a staunch critic of Mamata Banerjee. Earlier, Adhir said Congress won't beg for seats from Trinamool to which Mamata responded by saying that seat-sharing and bad-mouthing alliance partners can't go hand in hand.

In 2019, the TMC secured 22 seats, Congress won two, and BJP bagged 18 seats in West Bengal. Adhir won the Baharampur seat and Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, a former Union minister, won Malda Dakshin seat.

Seat-sharing hurdle in Punjab

INDIA bloc is facing uncertainty in Punjab as any pact between AAP and the Congress seems unlikely.

Seat-sharing hurdle in Maharashtra

The seat-sharing talks between Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the Congress cost Congress Milind Deora, a veteran and a former Union minister, who quit the Congress as the Congress hinted that the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency would go to Uddhav's party.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.