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‘No need for mercy’: Adhir Ranjan aims at Mamata Banerjee over Lok Sabha plan
Speaking to media persons in Berhampore, Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the TMC would need the help of the Congress in the upcoming general elections if they want to survive
Kolkata: West Bengal Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reacted sharply to reports that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intends to offer only two of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, saying the Congress does not mercy from the Bengal chief minister.
“Mamata Banerjee has proposed to leave two seats for the Congress. We defeated her in those two seats. Not once, but twice. Why should we ask for her mercy in those two seats?” Chowdhury said.
Speaking to media persons in Berhampore on Thursday, Chowdhury said that the TMC would need the help of the Congress in the upcoming general elections if they want to survive.
His remarks come days after the ruling TMC, a key constituent of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, indicated that it will offer the Congress two of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha constituencies as part of its bid to seal a seat-sharing agreement with the party.
Also Read: Congress attacks Mamata Banerjee over ‘2 seats’ offer; TMC claims ‘double game’
“We reject this proposal (of two seats). We have no intention of saving the two seats by begging for her mercy. By giving us two seats in West Bengal, she wants seats in Assam, Meghalaya and Goa. Congress has nothing to lose in West Bengal,” Chowdhury said.
“We can win more seats in West Bengal with our own strength. We can win Purulia, Malda, Raiganj, Darjeeling, and Basirhat. We have the strength to fight,” Chowdhury said.
Chowdhury also challenged the TMC supremo to contest from Berhampore. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election while the TMC won 22 seats, the Congress bagged two– Berhampore and Malda South. Chowdhar is an MP from Berhampore.
“She has proposed that Priyanka Gandhi should be fielded against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. I suggest her to contest against me from Berhampore. Will see how much strength do you have,” he said.
The TMC supremo had recently while addressing a political program in North 24 Parganas, said that her party would fight the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal while the INDIA alliance will be there in the rest of the country.
Also Read: Mamata not keen on alliance in Bengal, says Adhir; TMC counters
The TMC hit back at the Congress MP, accusing him of trying to strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Past state Congress presidents have resigned when Congress lost seats in West Bengal by taking responsibility. Chowdhury joined hands with the CPIM [Communist Party of India (Marxist)] but failed to secure even one seat in the state assembly. The Congress lost all the seven assembly seats in his Lok Sabha constituency to the TMC. One was even won by the BJP. In West Bengal, he is joining hands with anti-TMC forces and strengthening the BJP,” said Santanu Sen, TMC MP.
