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Mamata Banerjee's big proposal on 2024 strategy: ‘Will support Congress where…’
This is the first time that TMC supremo has cleared the air on her party's stand on a possible strategy for opposition unity in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In a major revelation on the poll strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her party will support the Congress where it is strong. The Trinamool Congress supremo, however, also sought support from Congress in West Bengal, suggesting the grand old party should back regional parties where they are strong.
"Wherever the Congress is strong, let them fight. We will give them support, there is nothing wrong (in that). But they have to support other political parties also," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.
However, to get support, Congress also has to back other regional parties, she said.
The TMC supremo also made it clear that she expected the seat-sharing formula to give priority to regional players in areas where they were strong.
"Strong regional parties must be given priority," she said. “I am supporting Congress in Karnataka but it should not fight against me in Bengal.”
Banerjee had earlier saluted the people of Karnataka after the BJP lost power there while avoiding mention of the Congress with which TMC has had run-ins in the past.
Her statement on possible strategy comes a day after HT reported that leaders from at least 12 political parties are likely to meet in Patna in the next eight to 10 days to decide on the common opposition front to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Leaders from the Congress, RJD, JD(U), TMC, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Samajwadi Party, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK, AAP, CPI, CPI(M), and CPI-ML (Liberation) are likely to attend the meeting, along with a few smaller parties that are also opposed to the BJP.
As part of his efforts to forge a united coalition ahead of the national elections, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has already met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. Nitish Kumar had already announced that the meeting would be called after the conclusion of the assembly elections in Karnataka.
(With PTI inputs)
