Dropping a bomb on the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday took a veiled dig at the Congress, saying she felt “insulted” at one of the meetings.
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Banerjee’s TMC is part of the multi-party alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2024 Lok Sabha (LS) elections. On Monday, Banerjee visited a temple, mosque and church, as she held a Sanhati Rally in Kolkata, as a counter to the BJP-led pran pratishtha at Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Banerjee and her nephew and the party’s national secretary Abhishek met religious leaders and citizens.
In her address, Banerjee said, “I suggested the name INDIA, but when I attended the meeting I saw the Left controlling this meeting. I can’t agree with a party I have been fighting against for 34 years… Despite such insults, I adjust and attend INDIA meetings. If somebody helps the BJP, I will look into it.”
Her statement made it clear that she was hitting out at the Congress, without naming it, as many from the TMC believe the Congress prefers the CPI(M) over them.
Under the leadership of Smt @MamataOfficial, people from diverse religions joined hands and marched in solidarity.The entire atmosphere reverberated with a spirit of unity and harmony! pic.twitter.com/aH8bqGdVrY
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) January 22, 2024
“I have the power which is why I fight with the BJP. But some people don’t want to listen to us on seat-sharing. How many politicians took the BJP head-on today? Some went a temple and thought that was sufficient, but it is not. I am the only one who visited a temple, gurdwara, church and mosque and have been fighting since long. When the Babri Masjid issue happened and violence took place, I was on the streets!” Banerjee said.
Political experts said it was a barb at Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, making it clear that she was not happy with the seat-sharing attitude of the Congress.
At the last internal meeting of the TMC, Banerjee asked her leaders to prepare for 42 Lok Sabha seats. This attack on the Congress and CPI(M) raises questions on the future of her role in the INDIA alliance, said experts.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi visited a temple in Assam, but was stopped. He will enter Bengal on January 25 with his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. While the statement made it clear that the TMC will not support his rally, it remains to be seen if Gandhi will attack Banerjee in Bengal.
