As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra enters Bihar after rallies in West Bengal’s Islampur and Chopra, sources in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confirmed that party chief and WB CM Mamata Banerjee will hold rallies in Islampur, Chopra and Raigunj on Tuesday.
Banerjee recently clarified that the TMC will not get into an alliance with the Congress in WB for the Lok Sabha elections. The plan for rallies only proves that the party will take on the Congress in the state.
Meanwhile, the Congress has also started to blame the TMC government for denying permission to Gandhi to stay in Berhampore on February 1. They also alleged that the TMC government did not allow Gandhi to have lunch at a government resthouse of Malda on January 31.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said: “Who is the Trojan Horse of the BJP? The Congress State Chief wants the President’s rule in Bengal. Who is he working for? We have repeatedly spoken about seat-sharing for the past seven months, but they have not said anything. On the one hand, the Congress claims that Banerjee is an important ally, but PCC Chief, who happens to be also a Lok Sabha leader, is challenging Banerjee to come and contest against him."
Congress’s Jairam Ramesh, who has been extending an olive branch to the TMC, said that despite the hindrances, the yatra went ahead with great enthusiasm in Bengal.
Amid the Congress-TMC spat, the Left is set to extend further support to the Congress.
The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPIM) has shown their support to the yatra from day one, and now sources say that senior state leaders, too, will join the Congress Nyay Yatra.
Speaking to News18, CPIM Secretary Md Salim said, “Right now, we are in Kerala, and we will be back on Wednesday. Some of our leaders will join Gandhi in Malda and I will also try to join in Berhampore. We have always said we are ready to join hands with anyone who is anti-Bharatiya Janata Party and anti-TMC too."
Experts say while the CPIM is extending support for the Congress, they also want the Congress to cut all ties with the TMC. Banerjee is anyway unhappy as she has alleged that the CPIM controls INDIA alliance.
Speaking to News18, Ramesh said, “Left is part of the INDIA group. We called all partners. We extended a special request to the TMC. If they join, it will definitely be good."
However, the Congress does not want to close the door on TMC, while maintaining good relations with the CPIM. The question remains — will this go well with CPIM?
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