Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the party assumes West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is still part of the opposition bloc INDIA and all should come together to fight the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.
His statement came a day after Ms. Banerjee expressed doubt whether the Congress will secure even 40 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
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Mr. Ramesh, on the sideline of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Godda, said, "We are assuming that she (Mamata Banerjee) is still part of the INDIA bloc, a group of 27 parties. Her priority, she claims, is to fight the BJP. Our priority is also to fight the BJP. I think it is better if we all come together".
"We were together in Patna, in Bengaluru and Mumbai. But, something seems to have happened. First, Shiv Sena split, then Nitish Kumar did his palti. Now, Mamata Banerjee ji is making these comments. I think we should realise this is not local-level elections", he said.
Addressing a dharna in Kolkata on February 2, Ms. Banerjee said, "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."
