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Door not shut with TMC; talks going on with DMK, NC: Cong
TMC, however, pointed out that the Lok Sabha seat of Tura in Meghalaya is a critical point between the two sides as the TMC wants to contest the seat but the Congress has not yet agreed to it
The Congress announced on Friday that “talks are going on” with the Trinamool Congress, J&K National Conference, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and other allies for an alliance and said that the doors were not shut for joining hands with the TMC.
West Bengal’s ruling party, however, pointed out that the Lok Sabha seat of Tura in Meghalaya is a critical point between the two sides as the TMC wants to contest the seat but the Congress has not yet agreed to it.
“Talks with Mamata Banerjee is on and doors have not been shut yet. I have been saying this for the last 40 days since the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, especially with regards to West Bengal, that talks with Mamata Banerjee are still going on. Doors have not been shut yet,” party leader Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
“We did the same thing about the Samajwadi Party but people questioned us. And now we have finalised the seat sharing issue. In a day or two, a decision on seat sharing with AAP will also be finalised. In Bengal, the final shape (of the alliance) has not been given yet. We are talking to every party. NC, DMK.. I can tell you in both states, our discussions are going on with our allies in Bengal and J&K,” he added.
He was referring to the SP and Congress seat pact that was announced this week, with the former fighting 63 seats in Uttar Pradesh and the latter 17.
About ten days ago, a top-ranking Congress leader, who is a trusted aide of Rahul Gandhi, dialed a senior Rajya Sabha leader of the TMC, as both sides tried to find common ground for a tie up said a TMC leader.
TMC leaders pointed out in the meeting that it has 28% votes in Tura while the Congress has 9%. “We want to contest Tura but the Congress has not agreed to it so far.” The TMC also told the Congress that the former wants seats in Assam as well, said the TMC leader
Tura is one of two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya.
“A few weeks ago, the TMC chairperson and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee stated that TMC is fighting all 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,” said Derek O’Brien, Trinamool’s leader in the Rajya Sabha.
On January 24, Mamata Banerjee announced in Bengal that she hadn’t spoken to anyone in the Congress and “TMC will fight alone in Bengal.”
On February 15, J&K NC leader Farooq Abdullah too, declared that NC will contest on its own strength. “As far as seat sharing is concerned, I want to make it clear National Conference will contest elections on its own strength. There are no two opinions about it. There should be no questions on this,” Abdullah said.
Later, former J&K chief minister and Abdullah’s son, Omar Abdullah, added that NC continued to be in the INDIA bloc and they were discussing seats with the Congress.
