With talks of seat-sharing between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) failing in West Bengal, the bitterness between the two parties is increasing with every passing day.
After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed doubts over the Congress’ ability to secure “even 40 seats“ in the State in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee on Saturday said that his party would ensure that State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury did not return to the Lok Sabha in 2024.
“Whatever happens, in 2024, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not return to Lok Sabha. We will ensure that,” Mr. Kalyan Banerjee said. The Sreerampore MP also dubbed Mr. Chowdhury a “traitor” and said that the State Congress president was the “biggest agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi in West Bengal”.
Ms. Banerjee on Friday reiterated that she had proposed the “Congress contest 300 seats (across the country where BJP is the main Opposition), but they refused to heed”, and added, “I doubt whether they will secure even 40 seats if they contested 300”. Ms. Banerjee had described Rahul Gandhi as a “seasonal bird” who had come to do a “photo shoot” in West Bengal.
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Ms. Banerjee had also accused the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) of enticing Muslim votes in the State. A section of Trinamool Congress leaders were also upset that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed through Muslim-dominated regions in the State.
Responding to the remarks made by Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the Chief Minister would be proved wrong on her prediction with reference to the Congress. “I do know who are her advisors now,” Mr. Ramesh added.
Mr. Choudhury expressed regret. “Mamata Banerjee is scared of the BJP and that is the reason she is changing her stance every day,” Mr. Choudhury said. “The BJP is also saying that Congress will be weaker in the coming days, and Didi (Ms. Banerjee) is saying nothing is possible by the Congress. I am unable to understand what is actually in their mind. But it’s quite unfortunate to see that a leader who is in the INDIA bloc says such things,” the State Congress president added.
The five-time Congress MP from Baharampur also expressed his disagreement over Ms. Banerjee’s “harsh” language towards Mr. Gandhi. “A person who became Chief Minister with the support of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi is using such unfortunate language against Rahul Gandhi,” Mr. Choudhury said.
