Expressing confidence in the unity of the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on January 25 said that the alliance of Opposition parties would fight injustice in the country together.
His remarks came a day after Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that her party would not ally with the Congress in West Bengal and has decided to go solo in the Lok Sabha election.
Earlier in the day, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Mr. Gandhi entered West Bengal from Assam through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district. The Congress leader travelled to Khagrabari in the district, before taking a flight to Delhi from north Bengal’s Bagdogra airport. He is likely to join the yatra again on January 28.
Fighting injustice together
“The word nyay (justice) has been added to the yatra. The BJP and RSS are spreading hatred and violence and doing injustice. The INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across the country unitedly,” Mr. Gandhi told media persons.
The Congress leader was welcomed in West Bengal by State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury. Mr. Gandhi thanked Congress leaders and supporters for extending him a warm welcome and said that the yatra was in the State to listen to its people.
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However, the yatra was also greeted with pro-TMC posters, including one claiming that “Didi is enough for West Bengal”. Along the yatra’s route, several people held up posters against Mr. Chowdhury. Though the posters suggested that they were put up by the residents of Cooch Behar, sources said that the entire development was orchestrated by the local Trinamool Congress leadership.
Mamata needed to defeat BJP: Jairam
The Congress leadership, however, is still hoping that it can placate the West Bengal Chief Minister. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh maintained that he could not think of an INDIA bloc without Ms. Banerjee.
“If we want to defeat the BJP in Bengal and India, Mamata Banerjee is very much needed. Our leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge have immense respect for Mamata ji,” Mr. Ramesh told media persons.
The Congress leader said that Ms. Banerjee was an “important pillar of the INDIA alliance” adding that “no one can imagine the grouping without Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress”.
CPI(M) to join yatra
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership will join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in West Bengal. The Congress leadership has sent an invite to the CPI(M)‘s West Bengal State secretary Md. Salim, who has requested his party’s leaders in north Bengal to join the yatra.
The Left Front led by the CPI(M) has forged an electoral understanding with the Congress and has been contesting polls as per their alliance since 2016. After the snub by the Trinamool chairperson, the Congress is likely to ally with the Left Front in the State for the upcoming election.
The Trinamool Congress, however, will give the yatra a miss, with Ms. Banerjee also expressing her displeasure that she had not been better informed about the Congress yatra.
