In a significant development indicating a thaw in relations between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the INDIA bloc, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to extend her support by campaigning for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Wayanad.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, entering the electoral fray from the Kerala constituency previously won by her brother Rahul Gandhi earlier this month, secured victories with substantial margins in both Rae Bareli and Wayanad during the Lok Sabha polls. Rahul Gandhi retained his stronghold in Uttar Pradesh.
During the West Bengal Lok Sabha elections, Mamata Banerjee's TMC and the Congress did not forge an alliance due to disagreements over seat allocation, leading them to contest independently. Nevertheless, at the national level, the two parties continue to collaborate under the umbrella of the INDIA bloc.
Previously, in December, Mamata Banerjee had proposed that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, as per reports from NDTV citing sources.
However, these details have not been independently corroborated by HT.
Relations between the TMC and the Congress had soured notably after Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress publicly criticized Mamata Banerjee. This rift resulted in the TMC's decision to contest the West Bengal Lok Sabha elections on its own.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a five-time winner from the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency, lost to TMC's Yusuf Pathan. His defeat, according to sources, has spurred efforts towards reconciliation between the two parties.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool Congress secured victory in 29 out of West Bengal's 42 constituencies, an increase from its 2019 tally of 22 seats. Meanwhile, despite not achieving a majority, the INDIA bloc prevented the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from surpassing the majority mark.
The BJP secured 240 Lok Sabha seats, falling 32 seats short of the majority mark. It subsequently formed a coalition government with the Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (United), and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.
Narendra Modi, BJP's leader, assumed office as Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term, marking the first instance in his career of leading a coalition government.
