Regional Parties Should Come Together To Defeat BJP In 2024: Mamata
Mounting a veiled attack on the Congress for “sitting back” because of its “ego”, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Wednesday appealed to regional parties to come together and defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She also alleged that Congress helped the saffron party win the polls in Meghalaya and Chandigarh.
“We want all regional parties to come together and defeat the BJP in 2024. If we can defeat the CPI(M) in West Bengal, we can also humble the saffron party at the national level,” Banerjee said, addressing a meeting after being re-elected unopposed as the TMC chairperson. Her comments come in the backdrop of Congress’ denial to ally with the TMC in the Goa assembly elections. “The TMC wants those who are opposed to the BJP to come on one platform, but if someone wants to sit back because of ego, then we can’t be blamed. Our party will fight against the BJP alone if needed,” she said.
Banerjee said that just like the Congress emerged as a national party from Uttar Pradesh and BJP from Gujarat, the TMC has emerged as a national party from West Bengal. Reacting to her allegations, Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said, “The TMC has been identified as the biggest agent of the BJP. She is right, the TMC will have to fight alone as no party will join hands with Banerjee. In Delhi, every political party knows it is the biggest agent of the BJP.”
The relationship between the Congress and TMC hit an all-time low in 2021. The latter had then slammed the grand old party over its alleged failure to fight against the BJP and dubbed it as “incapable and incompetent”, which has gone into “deep freezer”. The West Bengal chief minister also announced that although her party has decided to support Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the TMC would contest Lok Sabha polls in the politically crucial state in 2024.
