NEW DELHI: A day after announcing that Trinamool
Congress
(
TMC
) will extend “outside support” to the INDIA alliance to form government at the Centre if it wins the Lok Sabha elections, now Bengal chief minister
Mamata Banerjee
has taken a U-turn and said she is “very much part of
INDIA alliance
” at the national level.
Addressing a rally in Bengal’s Tamluk, the TMC chief said, “At all India level, some people have misunderstood my statement yesterday.
I am very much part of the INDIA alliance. The INDIA alliance was my brainchild. We are together at the national level and will continue to be together.”
The clarification comes a day after her “outside support” remark led to speculations of her exiting the united opposition alliance against the BJP.
At the same time, Mamata made it clear that though her party is part of the INDIA bloc at the national level, in West Bengal Trinamool is fighting against the partners CPM and Congress. She also alleged that the two parties have joined hands with BJP in the state. “Do not count on the CPM and the Congress in Bengal. They are not with us, they are with the BJP here. I am talking about that (INDIA bloc) in Delhi,” she said.
Talking about the statement TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also asserted that the party is still very much part of the INDIA alliance. “She has clarified herself and there is no misunderstanding at all … She was there during the formation of the INDIA alliance. She was in INDIA, TMC is in INDIA and will be with the alliance…”
Mamata opportunist politician, don’t trust her: Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee for her “outside support” remark, Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Choudhary earlier on Thursday said he does not trust the TMC chief alleged that she can even go with the BJP.
“I don’t trust her (Mamata). She left the alliance and ran away. She can also go towards the BJP if the results are favourable to them … Everyone saw that she was the one who broke the alliance [in Bengal],” Congress Bengal chief Chowdhary said.
He also claimed that TMC supremo is now endorsing the opposition INDIA bloc recognising its growing momentum and aiming to maintain her relevance in national politics.
“… INDIA alliance has been striding ahead and it is on the verge of forming a government, and this is why as an opportunist political leader she thought of extending support in advance so that her support to INDIA bloc will help her in fighting elections in West Bengal. She now understands the crude reality on the ground that voters are gearing toward the INDIA bloc,” he said.
Mamata Banerjee’s TMC decided to go solo in Bengal for Lok Sabha elections despite being part of INDIA alliance. The decision was taken after the alliance parties failed to come up with a seat-sharing plan in the state even after rounds of meetings. Seven of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.
(With inputs from agencies)
Discover more from CaveNews Times
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.