Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Thursday squarely attributed the breakdown of the alliance between his party and the Congress in West Bengal to the actions of West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. This assertion follows the recent announcement by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee that her party would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls independently in the state.
In a press conference held in New Delhi, O'Brien curtly stated, "Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury".
Highlighting what he perceived as detrimental conduct, O'Brien claimed that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) faced opposition from various quarters, but only the BJP and Chowdhury consistently opposed the bloc.
Further alleging collusion with the BJP, O'Brien asserted, "The voice is his, but the words are being dictated to him by the duo in Delhi. In the past two years, Adhir Chowdhury has spoken the language of the BJP. Not once has he raised the issue of Bengal being deprived of central funds," according to statements reported by news agency PTI.
"He even endorses ED actions in Bengal when they are against Trinamool. He holds special press conferences to belittle Mamata Banerjee and barely speaks against BJP leaders," he added.
Responding to questions about the TMC's position within the I.N.D.I.A grouping, O'Brien remarked, "After the general elections, if the Congress does its job and defeats the BJP on a substantial number of seats, the Trinamool Congress will very much be a part of the front that believes and fights for the Constitution and plurality," as reported by PTI.
Banerjee's unexpected announcement prompted the Congress to adopt a conciliatory stance, with party general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asserting that the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A "cannot be imagined without Mamata Banerjee".
Emphasising a decisive move, O'Brien stated that the TMC has "turned the page".
Responding to this development, BJP leader Rahul Sinha commented, "Those who can't keep their parties together, how can we expect them to keep the country together. That's why they are doing this stupidity in the name of 'Bharat Jodo'. Nothing is going to happen. They (Congress) won't be getting anyone's support," as reported by PTI.
The Trinamool Congress expressed discontent with Chowdhury's consistent criticisms of Banerjee, where he recently referred to the West Bengal chief minister as an "opportunist" and declared that his party would contest the polls independently.
Sources indicated dissatisfaction over seat-sharing talks with Congress. Initially offering two Lok Sabha seats, the TMC later suggested the possibility of accommodating an additional seat. However, following Banerjee's announcement of going solo in the state, there has been a lack of communication with the Congress for at least the past two weeks on seat-sharing.
During the December 19 meeting of the I.N.D.I.A bloc in Delhi, the TMC set a December 31 deadline for finalising seat-sharing arrangements. Despite the Congress' National Alliance Committee holding meetings at the beginning of January, the TMC's offer of two seats was deemed insufficient by the Congress.