New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday said that the Congress should have left the seat-sharing planning to CM Mamata Banerjee. The TMC said that as the largest party in the I.N.D.I.A bloc, the Congress had more responsibility towards the alliance.
TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay was quoted as saying by news agency PTI, "If Mamata Banerjee can reduce the Congress and the Left to zero in the assembly polls, she can also reduce the BJP to zero in Lok Sabha elections." Sudip said that if the Congress wants to do something in Bengal, it "should leave the matter to Mamata Banerjee".
Bandyopadhyay's comment came at a time when tension is high in the I.N.D.I.A bloc over seat allocation ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The TMC earlier said that it will not share any seat with an I.N.D.I.A partner and will contest all 42 seats in the state.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay emphasized the significant role played by the Congress as the largest party in the I.N.D.I.A bloc. He stated, "Congress bears greater responsibility within the alliance and suggested that matters pertaining to West Bengal should be entrusted to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee." Bandhopadhyay's comments were made during an all-party meeting preceding the Budget session in New Delhi.
According to PTI, The TMC leader also voiced grievances regarding the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'. Bandyopadhyay mentioned that the Congress failed to inform the TMC in advance about the yatra. He said the Congress's invitation to its senior leaders came too late. He added, "We never received an invite from Rahul Gandhi. We received an invite from the party yesterday [Monday]. What is the point of it when the Yatra has already begun."
Responding to questions about the exit of Janata Dal (U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the alliance, Bandyopadhyay dismissed it as not being a setback, reported PTI. 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will reenter Bengal on Wednesday.