Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her party, the Trinamool Congress, will run independently for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, reactions from across the political spectrum poured in. Banerjee's statement appears to put an end to any hopes of forming a pre-election alliance with the Congress, dealing a fatal blow to the prospects of collaboration between the two parties, who are considered key members of the I.N.D.I.A opposition bloc.
"I have no relations with the Congress... we will fight alone (and) decide on an all-I.N.D.I.A level after the election," a furious Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency PTI, emphasising that she has not entered into any pre-election discussions with the Congress.
In an apparent sign of escalating tensions, Banerjee criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,' which is set to enter Bengal on Thursday and may skip Kolkata.
"They are coming to my state... but did not have the courtesy to inform me..." she told reporters.
Here Are Some Of The Reactions Below:
BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded to statements by Mamata Banerjee, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Rahul Gandhi on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, saying, "Allies of INDI are demolishing the palace of their alliance every day. They form a friendship after moving to Delhi, but wrestle in West Bengal. A new conflict is emerging everywhere. Even after five meetings, they have no flag, agenda, leader, policy, or intention."
"They are simply full of confusion, corruption, and people who pursue family careers. People have decided to support those with a mission rather than those who are constantly confused," news agency ANI posted a video of him saying the same.
Calling the alliance "unnatural", West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, "This alliance is unnatural because, in West Bengal, Congress and CPM are fighting against Mamata Banerjee. A while ago, in the Panchayat elections, Congress and CPM were thrashed by TMC workers."
"Mamata Banerjee knows the ground report that the alliance is 'unnatural' and politically unviable'. And if you have thought that top politicians having tea in Delhi and supporting TMC in Bengal was not happening, and TMC supremo knew that," Majumdar is heard saying the same in a video posted by ANI.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad remarked, "This had to happen...When there is a selfish, opportunistic alliance (INDIA)...then such things happen."
Addressing Banerjee's decision to contest alone in Bengal, BJP leader Tarkishore Prasad told PTI, "Everyone knows the intentions of Congress and JD(U), someone wants to become PM or Bihar CM. Naturally, the (I.N.D.I.A) alliance has no future and they (I.N.D.I.A bloc) fear from continuously rising persona of PM Modi. Nobody wants to end their political career by entering into an alliance with I.N.D.I.A bloc".
In Patna, responding to Mamata Banerjee's I.N.D.I.A bloc remark, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, "Please wait for some time...Maybe the statement was given in some particular situation...If there is a conflict, then the bloc (I.N.D.I.A) would solve it..."
In Delhi, on Mamata Banerjee's I.N.D.I.A bloc remark, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj says, "TMC is a big party in West Bengal, Congress and the Left has always been fighting against them. So seat sharing with TMC will be a little difficult. The issues between them will be resolved. Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi are committed to the success of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. We are hopeful that all parties in the I.N.D.I.A bloc will fight elections together..."
In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray told ANI: "I have come to know from the media, but let me see what Mamata ji has said, Mamata ji is fighting like a tigress in Bengal, her fight in West Bengal is extremely important".
NCP working president Supriya Sule expressed love and respect, confirming the unity of the I.N.D.I.A bloc with a different model in each state and emphasising ongoing communication.
The ongoing seat-sharing dispute between the Trinamool Congress and the I.N.D.I.A, as well as the larger challenge of defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, has yet to be resolved. So far, Congress has ignored deadlines to reach a deal.
On Tuesday, Banerjee criticised the Congress' "unjustified" demand for 10-12 Lok Sabha seats in her state; she had offered two, citing the party's poor track record. On condition of anonymity, a senior Trinamool leader told news agency PTI that "(Banerjee) said, 'Don't think about seat-sharing with Congress'... she said she offered two seats, but they demanded 10-12".
Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh last week warned the Congress against "unjustified bargaining."
Meanwhile, Banerjee, in a show of strength, has directed party leaders in Birbhum and Murshidabad districts to begin planning for the combined five Lok Sabha seats on their own. The latter is key because one of its three seats is Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's constituency of Berhampore.
Chowdhury, the Congress' state unit boss, is fiercely opposed to sharing seats with Trinamool, and has repeatedly attacked Banerjee, despite efforts from leaders on both sides to stitch an alliance.
Rahul Gandhi, asked about these attacks, played them down, insisting "Mamata Banerjee is very close to me and our party" and that it is "natural", sometimes, for the two sides to criticise each other.
Banerjee is one of the few opposition leaders to have enjoyed electoral success against the BJP in recent years, after orchestrating a statement win over the saffron party in the last Assembly election.
In 2019 too, she ensured her party had an edge, winning 22 seats. That, though, was less than the 34 from five years ago. Ominously, BJP went from two to 18.