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The prospect of a seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal encountered setbacks on Thursday as the TMC indicated its reluctance to meet the five-member national alliance committee of the Congress. This committee has been engaged in discussions with various parties of the INDIA alliance to formulate seat adjustments in different states.
Sources within the TMC revealed to Indian Express, that the party has already communicated its proposal to the Congress, suggesting that the TMC is not inclined to meet with the Congress committee for further discussions.
The Congress panel, consisting of Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Prakash, has conducted preliminary discussions with several parties including the Samajwadi Party (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, AAP, and RJD. It has been reported that the TMC offered the Malda Dakshin and Baharampur seats to the Congress, both of which are currently held by the Congress.
However, West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has rejected the offer, asserting that the party had independently won those seats in 2019, contending against both the TMC and the BJP. He emphasized that the Congress does not require any “grace or generosity” from Mamata Banerjee to retain those two seats.
Chowdhury stated to Indian Express, “I can fight it alone against Banerjee and the BJP because I have proved it. My colleague and I can fight in both the seats on our own. We don’t require any grace from Banerjee to retain the two seats.”
The TMC’s refusal to meet the Congress panel for further discussions implies a firm stance against conceding more seats to the Congress. A senior TMC leader emphasized the clarity of their offer, citing the Congress’s performance in Bengal and suggesting that direct communication between the top Congress leadership and Mamata Banerjee might lead to a more favorable outcome.
