Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a bid to “find a way forward” a day after she announced the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would go alone in the Lok Sabha polls, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. Kharge also requested Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar to join the ‘Yatra’ in Bihar scheduled for January 30 amid speculations of a possible alliance between the BJP and Janata Dal (U) ahead of polls.
Congress-Trinamool impasse
“Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has spoken with Mamata Banerjee today. We will find a way forward,” the Congress’s communications chief Jairam Ramesh was quoted by PTI as saying.
The Congress leader’s statement comes amid a Congress-Trinamool impasse over seat-sharing in Bengal for the 2024 polls.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and everyone in the party would be “just delighted and privileged to have her as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra even if it is for a few minutes”, Jairam Ramesh said.
“Congress president Kharge has spoken with her today and we will find a way forward because her objective is the objective of the INDIA bloc which is to defeat the BJP resoundingly in Bengal and convincingly in other parts of the country,” he added.
Jairam Ramesh further said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would be immensely strengthened by Mamata Banerjee’s presence.
“Without her, we cannot fight the BJP in Bengal and the rest of the country. She is the integral, essential pillar of the opposition bloc INDIA. She has played a crucial role in making the INDIA bloc a reality,” the Congress leader said.
On the other hand, TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Derek O’Brien blamed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the collapse of the alliance between the two parties.
“There are three reasons behind the collapse of the alliance in Bengal: Adhir, Adhir and Adhir,” said Derek O’Brien, implying that Chowdhury’s views were similar to that of the BJP’s. “He’s the voice but content is provided by the two people in Delhi,” the TMC MP was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
“The designated person of the Congress for talks called the designated person in Trinamool after Banerjee announced in Burdwan that TMC will fight in all 42 (Lok Sabha) seats (in the state). The Congress wants to sit with TMC for talks. But we told the Congress it has failed to rein in Chowdhury even after Banerjee’s announcement,” a senior TMC leader was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
Bihar: Nitish Kumar Unlikely to Join Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
According to an NDTV report, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was non-committal about his participation in Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which would prove to be a major setback for the grand old party.
Kumar’s refusal to join Congress’ joint rally comes amidst tensions between the ruling coalition partners in Bihar.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav’s meeting with his party leaders in Patna, the BJP high command asking its leaders from Bihar to reach Delhi and BJP leader Sushil Modi’s praise for Nitish Kumar for his attack on dynasty politics, have fuelled speculations of a possible alliance between the BJP and Janata Dal (U) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
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