Rifts in Grand Alliance: Congress announces contesting alone in AP, also unhappy with TMC in Bengal

Congress announced that it would not contest polls in Andhra Pradesh with Chandrababu Naidu's TDP; it also criticised Trinamool Congress for trying to undermine the leadership of Rahul Gandhi - both the developments hinting that all is not well in the grand alliance.

NEW DELHI, INDIA - DECEMBER 10: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and NCP leader Sharad Pawar attend a meeting of opposition parties at Parliament House Annexe, on December 10, 2018 in New Delhi. (Photo :Getty Images)

New Delhi: The political dynamics of the country is witnessing major changes with the Lok Sabha elections just months away. While at one hand, the major opposition party Congress played its trump card by launching Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in politics, on the other, it announced that it would not contest polls in Andhra Pradesh with ally TDP; it also criticised Trinamool Congress for trying to undermine the leadership of Rahul Gandhi - both the developments hinting that all is not well in the grand alliance. Attack on Mamata: Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi alleged Mamata Banerjee's party does not want Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister of the country. His comments came just days after the mega opposition rally convened by TMC in Kolkata, which was attended by senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, apart from top leaders of various other parties. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had deputed Kharge and Singhvi and had wished the opposition rally a success. "Recently, TMC organised an opposition rally. But they have a problem with Rahul Gandhi. They don't want him as next prime minister of the country. But I want to say it loud and clear that Rahul Gandhi will be the next prime minister of the country. The next government at the Centre will be formed under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi," Gogoi, the party's in-charge for West Bengal asserted at a rally in Rampurhat in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Tuesday. Congress to contest both state and national polls alone in Andhra Pradesh The Congress Wednesday asserted it would contest on its own the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh, both to the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha. AICC general secretary and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy made the assertion while making it clear that the Congress will not have any alliance with the ruling Telugu Desam Party(TDP) in Andhra Pradesh. "We will contest all 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats alone. "The TDP allied with us only at the national level, so we will have no truck (with it) in the state," he maintained. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the PCC office-bearers here, Chandy said they would meet again on January 31 to discuss about the poll preparations. The state Congress also decided to undertake a bus yatra in all the 13 districts in February, he said. (inputs from PTI) (ABP NEWS is a free to air channel. To watch ABP NEWS as part of your basic pack, contact your cable/DTH operator.)