A day after Congress’s Jairam Ramesh hinted at a chance of an alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party’s West Bengal president, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, is singing a different tune.
“I want to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal with the Left. I have already started talking to CPIMs’ Md Salim,” said Chowdhury. Reacting to Jairam’s statement on alliance, Chowdhury said, “I don’t know if any meeting has taken place…I am not aware. The TMC has said directly that they will contest all 42 seats.”
Last month, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had said that her party will go solo for the Lok Sabha elections in the state. “We are not in touch with the Congress for Bengal. Let the Congress fight on its own. We will fight on our own. The final decision will be taken post the Lok Sabha results,” she had said.
The TMC, meanwhile, tweeted and made it clear that there is no development on the alliance front.
This is the first time Chowdhury said that he wants to go with the Left for the polls and is not interested in an alliance with the TMC.
Chowdhury also stressed that he knows that a section of the TMC wants to show that they want to go with the Congress, as they know that they will not get minority votes without the Congress.
Experts in Bengal politics said Chowdhury is indirectly putting pressure on his party high command by giving such statements.
Although formal discussion between the Left and Congress has not started, both the parties are ready for the 20-22 seat-sharing plan. Sources in the state Congress say Chowdhury will go ahead with the Left to chalk out the details soon.
While sources say the central Congress is confused in the present scenario, what happens on ground remains to be seen.
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