Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday rejected a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She told reporters while flying to Burdwan from Dumurjala helipad in Howrah around noon on Wednesday. "Nobody talked to me; we have decided that we will fight alone." I will think about what to do in all of India or not after the elections.
Addressing a press conference at the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra in Guwahati on Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "We are in talks with Mamata Banerjee on seat sharing arrangements. You will know the results in time. My personal relationship with Mamata Di is very good. Yes, it is true that sometimes we or any of them make adverse comments about the alliance. But it does not seem to be an obstacle in the way of the alliance.
Asked to react to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Mamata Banerjee said, "Nobody talked to me. My proposal was rejected on the first day! No one discussed it with me. Since then, we have decided that we will fight alone."
Mamata said, "We are in the India alliance. Have you ever said, ''Didi, am I going to your state?' No, he didn't. So I have nothing to do with Bengal. I will think about what to do in all of India or not after the elections. We are a secular party. We will do whatever it takes to defeat the BJP. It's not a practice now; it's a lie,absolutely wrong."
Rejecting the possibility of an alliance before the Lok Sabha polls, Mamata said, "The alliance does not belong to anyone alone. We will be united by the regional parties. We have said that the Congress should fight alone in 300 seats. The regional party will contest the remaining seats. Don't interfere there. If there is interference, then we will understand otherwise."
State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was also asked about the TMC supremo's decision to fight alone. And Adhir Babu is very angry to hear that question. However, listening to the state leader's words, it seemed that the anger was not so much towards Mamata but more about the attitude of the Congress high command. "Ask the chief minister, not my subject." He tried to avoid the media. Then, when asked the same question again, he said in a slightly sarcastic voice, "I don't know. There are leaders in the All India Congress Committee. Ask them.
In this situation, the Congress reacted, "The I.N.D.I.A. alliance cannot be thought of without Mamata Banerjee. The Congress called the TMC a "strong pillar" of the opposition alliance. Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Like the alliance, the India alliance will fight in West Bengal. I hope that the seat-sharing talks with the TMC will be fruitful in the future.
Rahul Gandhi's yatra will enter West Bengal via Behar on Thursday. It remains to be seen what message Rahul Gandhi will give after Mamata rejects the alliance message.
