Murshidabad: In a clear sign of deepening cracks in India’s opposition faction as the Lok Sabha elections approach, the West Bengal unit of the Congress on Thursday took a dig at the Trinamool Congress, holding the ruling party responsible. The party is responsible for the lack of progress in seat-sharing talks in the state.
At a time when different voices are coming forward regarding seat-sharing, the rift in the opposition group has widened, Congress MP and party’s West Bengal chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday targeted TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. , which raised doubts. On his intention to go into seat allocation with the oldest party in the state. Addressing a press conference in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Thursday, Adhir also ridiculed Mamata’s rumor of giving 2 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress, saying these constituencies were already with the Congress. And his party is quite capable of maintaining it.
They will be included in the elections that are likely to be held in the summer. “Mamata Banerjee’s real face has been revealed. They (TMC) are saying that they are ready to give us two seats in West Bengal. The seats being talked about are already with us. Congress MPs were elected in both these constituencies. So, what’s new are they giving us? We won these seats by defeating Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and BJP.
Are they doing us any favors? Who will trust her (Mamata) in seat allocation?” Adhir said.
TMC, a key component of the India block, has reportedly offered 2 seats to Congress to contest the general elections.
Taking a dig at the ruling party in the state, Adhir said that he does not need any help from TMC as his party is quite capable of fighting the elections alone in the state.
“It is Mamata who needs Congress to win, not the other way around. We are quite capable of fighting alone in the state and winning more seats than last time. We are ready to show that much. We can’t do that.” They need Mamata’s mercy and they are quite capable of retaining both these seats (even if TMC contests them),” the Congress state chief said.
While India’s partners recently came together for their fourth meeting in the national capital, the potentially thorny issue of seat-sharing in individual states remained unresolved.
It is believed that there are major differences over seat-sharing in Bihar, Punjab, UP and Bengal, where regional parties are bargaining hard with the Congress.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Waring on Thursday said his party is planning to ‘contest’ all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
“AICC has asked us to be ready to contest on all 13 seats. There was no discussion on seat sharing or alliance in our meeting today. We are preparing to contest on all 13 seats here. We will discuss this further.” “The candidates will come up with a comprehensive strategy to contest the elections in the next 3-4 months,” Waring said.
Earlier, in December, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had claimed that his party was a bigger player in Maharashtra, and hinted at no compromise in the matter of seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections.
“This is Maharashtra, and Shiv Sena is the largest party here. Congress is a national party. Uddhav Thackeray is holding positive discussions with decision-making leaders of the Congress, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal. Raut had earlier said, “Shiv Sena has always been fighting on 23 seats in the Lok Sabha elections here, which also includes Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and this time too we will be adamant on fighting on less than 23 seats.”
Angered by his remarks, Congress leader Milind Deora said the grand old party is the major opposition force in Maharashtra and no alliance can go ahead without consulting the local leadership of the state party.
On his official handle on Twitter, Deora posted, “According to Sanjay Raut ji, despite the loss of 40 of its MLAs, @ShivSenaUBT_ remains the largest party in the MVA. He suggests that @INCIndia should start talks with zero seats. He is talking.” About the party which is the largest opposition party in the Maharashtra Assembly and is leading the opposition. I want to tell Shri @rautsanjay61 that no alliance can proceed without consultation with the local leadership of Maharashtra. This idea has also been endorsed and supported by AICC. ,
