Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Saayoni Ghosh on Saturday said the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC allying with the Indian National Congress under leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, would send a “powerful message.”
Speaking to ANI news agency, Ghosh said that such a move would prove that the TMC-Congress alliance is “genuine” and not just “in name.”
Ghosh was among the 20 rebel TMC parliamentarians who merged with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) in June. Ghosh's remarks come even as the Nandigram bypoll, scheduled on October 6, has triggered a political storm in West Bengal, with Congress candidate Milan Pradhan arrested in connection with an old murder case.
Deep Dive
What is the significance of the TMC-Congress alliance mentioned by Saayoni Ghosh?
Why did Mamata Banerjee decide to support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll?
How has the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan affected the Nandigram bypoll?
Also Read | TMC's Rejinagar candidate decides to withdraw from bypoll, then backtracks
This came after the Election Commission allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and football player symbol for the October 6 bypolls. Following this, their candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination, and the Mamata-led faction declared support for Congress's Pradhan.
‘Would hope Congress aligns with the TMC’
{{/usCountry}}This came after the Election Commission allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and football player symbol for the October 6 bypolls. Following this, their candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination, and the Mamata-led faction declared support for Congress's Pradhan.
‘Would hope Congress aligns with the TMC’
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to reporters in Kolkata on Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Ghosh said, “I would hope that, under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, the Congress aligns with the TMC.”
She further added, “If that happens, it will send a powerful message that this alliance is genuine—a true partnership, not merely one that exists in name only.”
On the arrest of the Congress candidate from Nandigram, Ghosh said she was aware of the pending cases against him, adding that it was a “matter between two political parties.” “Regarding the Congress leader who became a candidate— as far as I knew until yesterday, there were some pending cases against him. This is politics, and in politics, one has to consider what decisions might be taken or actions initiated prior to an election,” the MP said.
Ghosh added that parties can also approach the Election Commission or take legal recourse. “In a democracy—whether it is the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, or the BJP—everyone is free to exercise their democratic rights...” she added.
Rahul holds phone call with Mamata; condemns Pradhan's arrest
After the ECI barred Banerjeefrom using the name and symbol of the party she founded, Opposition leaders criticised the decision. Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi reached out to Banerjee to express solidarity, while the latter said Congress and her party were ready to work together against the central government.
“We are in this together. We want BJP to be removed,’’ Banerjee said about her conversation with Gandhi, and extended support to Congress candidate Pradhan. Gandhi, who reportedly told the former chief minister that his party was ready to extend any assistance required, later led his party’s attack on the Election Commission.
After Pradhan's arrest, Rahul said the action was politically motivated, adding that it was “no coincidence”. “The arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the Nandigram by-election is no coincidence—it is political revenge, the murder of democracy,” the Congress leader said.
He added, “The BJP has no faith in fair elections—that's why it wants to cling to power sometimes through vote theft, sometimes through stealing governments, and sometimes through stealing parties. They don't want to contest elections; they want to end the electoral fight altogether.” Gandhi said the Congress will “neither fear nor bow down”, adding that it would “fight” and “win” the electoral battle/