January 24, 2024 In a significant political development, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is gearing up to contest all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal independently, amid mounting disagreements over seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc. The decision was unveiled during a closed-door organisational meeting in Birbhum district, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed party leaders to focus on preparing for the polls without engaging in seat-sharing discussions.
A senior TMC leader, citing Mamata Banerjee, revealed, “Our party supremo clearly said that we don’t need to think about seat-sharing talks with the Congress. She said that the party had offered two seats to them. But the Congress at times is demanding 10-12 seats.”
The backdrop of this move is a growing discord among INDIA bloc allies at the state level regarding the allocation of seats. Mamata Banerjee criticized the Congress for causing delays in seat-sharing discussions in West Bengal, attributing it to the “unjustified” demand for 10-12 Lok Sabha constituencies. The TMC, in response, expressed its willingness to offer only two seats to the Congress, emphasizing its better performance in those constituencies during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a vocal critic of the TMC, targeted Mamata Banerjee and the party over their approach to general elections. Chowdhury labeled the West Bengal CM an “opportunist,” asserting that the Congress would not participate in elections at her mercy.
In response to these criticisms, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi downplayed the significance of such comments, stating, “The negotiations on seat-sharing are underway; I don’t want to comment here. But Mamata Banerjee is very close to me and our party. Sometimes our leaders say something, their leaders say something, and it goes on. It’s a natural thing. Such comments won’t matter, and these are not things that are going to disrupt things.” Gandhi made these remarks on the sidelines of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
The unfolding political dynamics in West Bengal indicate a challenging landscape as parties position themselves for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The decision by the TMC to contest independently adds a new dimension to the already complex political scenario in the state.
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