Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a Congress Member of Parliament from West Bengal, responded on Sunday to the Trinamool Congress's unveiling of its list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. During the announcement, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee explicitly stated that her party would contest the elections independently in the state.
Chowdhury asserted that Mamata Banerjee harbored concerns that remaining in the INDIA bloc would compel her to confront Prime Minister Modi, potentially leading to repeated investigations by agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He suggested that such circumstances could jeopardize the TMC's position. Therefore, to avoid displeasing PM Modi, Banerjee opted to distance herself from the alliance.
Chowdhury alleged that Banerjee's decision was a deliberate message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, indicating that her party would not compete against the BJP.Â
Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, also weighed in on TMC's candidate list, expressing disapproval of the unilateral announcement of seats. He emphasized the importance of mutual negotiations and compromise in the seat-sharing process. Ramesh emphasized that Congress has always been open to negotiations and discussions regarding seat allocation with the TMC in West Bengal.
Ramesh stressed that the announcement of candidates should have been a collaborative effort, as observed in other states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, where Congress has established seat-sharing arrangements with its alliance partners.
Moreover, Ramesh reiterated Congress's desire for the INDIA bloc to unite against the BJP in West Bengal, a sentiment he claimed was shared by the TMC and Mamata Banerjee. However, he expressed uncertainty about the outcome, stating, "Let's see what happens."
In January, when Mamata Banerjee announced TMC's decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections independently, she cited Congress's rejection of her seat-sharing proposals as the reason.
