Mamata Banerjee Challenges Congress, Doubts 40 Seats in Lok Sabha Polls
Mamata Banerjee Challenges Congress to take on the BJP in the Hindi heartland states
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenged the Congress to take on the BJP in the Hindi heartland states, expressing doubt about their ability to secure “even 40 seats” in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. This comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed optimism about resolving the seat-sharing deadlock with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
During a dharna in Kolkata demanding the clearance of the state’s dues by the Centre, Banerjee criticized Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ comparing it to a “mere photo opportunity” for “migratory birds” aimed at dividing minority votes in the state.
Banerjee stated, “I proposed that Congress contest 300 seats (across the country where BJP is the main opposition), but they refused to heed. I doubt whether they will secure even 40 seats if they contested 300.” She reiterated her party’s willingness to form an alliance with Congress in West Bengal but emphasized that the grand-old party declined the offer.
The West Bengal Chief Minister challenged Congress to take on the BJP and defeat it in states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Despite attempts to reconcile, Banerjee remained steadfast in her refusal to allocate seats to Congress in West Bengal.
The Congress’s yatra through six districts of North Bengal might have triggered Banerjee’s stance, according to sources. She criticized the event as a “mere spectacle for photo opportunities,” suggesting it lacked genuine intent.
Banerjee remarked that Congress did not inform her about the yatra and questioned their purpose in Bengal. Despite being an alliance partner of INDIA, they did not inform us, she said, adding that she got to know through administrative sources.
Banerjee had earlier expressed interest in a seat-sharing arrangement with Congress, but the party aligned with the CPI(M), forcing her to go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls. She asserted that the TMC will work with other regional parties after the elections. In the 2019 elections, TMC secured 22 seats, Congress won two, and the BJP bagged 18 seats in the state.
Tensions escalated when TMC’s offer of two seats, based on Congress’ 2019 Lok Sabha election performance, was deemed insufficient. The TMC had previously allied with the Congress in the 2001 assembly polls, the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, and the 2011 assembly polls, leading to the ousting of the CPI(M)-led Left Front government of 34 years.