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No seats for Congress if it doesn’t sever ties with Left: Mamata
Mamata, who is also TMC chief, also alleged the Congress was teaming up with the CPI(M) to strengthen the BJP in the state.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not spare a single Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal for the Congress till the latter severs ties with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said, amid a growing rift in the INDIA bloc ahead of the general elections.
Banerjee, who is also TMC chief, also alleged the Congress was teaming up with the CPI(M) to strengthen the BJP in the state.
“I told them (Congress) I won’t spare even a single seat. I asked them to first sever ties with the CPI(M). I haven’t forgotten how the CPI(M) tortured our men,” she said, referring to the 34-year rule of the Left Front in the state earlier. “I will never forgive the CPI(M). I will also not forgive those who support the CPI(M)..,” she added.
This comments came on a day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra re-entered West Bengal’s Malda district from Bihar, and a controversy broke out over a broken rear glass on the leader’s car.
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Congress state unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury initially claimed that Gandhi’s vehicle was “attacked”. But the Congress later clarified that the window pane was damaged when sudden brakes had to be applied due to a woman coming in front of the vehicle during the yatra. Gandhi was unharmed in the incident.
Banerjee said the incident took place in Bihar, and not Bengal. “I learnt that Rahul Gandhi’s car was pelted with stones. I checked what exactly happened and found that the incident occurred in Katihar (in Bihar), not in West Bengal. The car entered West Bengal with the glass already broken… I condemn the attack. This is nothing but drama.”
The chief minister was addressing government programmes in Malda and Murshidabad. Her remarks against the Congress came days after she ruled out any alliance with the party and announced that the TMC would contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats on its own in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“I told the Congress that they don’t have a single legislator in the state assembly. I offered them two Lok Sabha seats and said that I would ensure they win from the two seats. They refused and wanted more seats,” Banerjee said.
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The CPI(M) is the “number one agent of BJP”, the TMC chief added. “Our understanding with the Congress was good. It has deteriorated because of the CPI(M),” she said.
She continued: “I asked the Congress how many seats they want? 42 out of 42? They would lose all 42 and the BJP would enter Bengal. I won’t allow this. I backed out because I will not hold the CPI(M)’s hand.”
On January 25, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had spoken to Banerjee to salvage the situation amid increasing signs of strain within the INDIA bloc.
The Congress dismissed the chief minister’s statement on seat-sharing discussions with the party.
“She is coming up with new statements everyday. A few days ago, she said no one (from Congress) discussed seat-sharing with her. Then with whom did she discuss the formula of two seats? She is trying to confuse the people,” Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy said.
The CPI(M) alleged the TMC and BJP are natural allies. “Banerjee hasn’t opposed any bills introduced by the Modi government since 2014. Her party spent crores of rupees to contest in some states to split non-BJP votes and help the BJP. We consider the TMC and BJP synonymous,” CPI(M) leader Tanmoy Bhattacharya said.
