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By India Today News Desk: Mamata Banerjee is talking about the Congress because feels she would need the party’s support to retain power in Bengal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, hours after Bengal chief minister vowed to support the grand old party in states where it is prominent. He, however, maintained that the Congress will continue to fight the Trinamool in Bengal even as Banerjee’s support came with a Bengal rider.
“Today Congress has won. Mamata Banerjee thinks she won’t be able to go forward without an understanding with the Congress. Have we heard her say vote for the Congress before the Karnataka elections? In the run-up to the elections, she never appealed to the people of Karnataka to vote for Congress. This is the same Mamata Banerjee who goes to UP and Bihar to help those fighting the BJP. But she didn’t go to Karnataka,” Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said.
“Today when the Congress has won, she feels that without the Congress it will be difficult for her to move forward in Bengal. This is because the Congress’s hold in the state is increasing day by day. A few days back, we won the bye elections in Murshidabad’s Sagardighi by a huge mandate after almost 50 years. In Karnataka, even though we won, she didn’t mention Rahul Gandhi once. Every regional party, which is in the Opposition, has spoken about Rahul Gandhi and the Bharat Jodo Yatra, irrespective of whether they were with us. But Mamata Banerjee never said a word about him. Even when Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP, not once did she take his name,” he added.
Also Read | ‘Trinamool willing to support Congress if…’: Mamata Banerjee after Karnataka result
“Speak directly. Meet members of the Congress. Discuss. Meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. When you came to power in Bengal in 2011, had Sonia Gandhi not been there, you would never have got the opportunity to win the state. After coming to power, you worked to oust the Congress from the state. So our fight is definitely against you and your party in Bengal,” Chowdhury asserted.
Earlier today, Banerjee said: “Wherever Congress is strong (in states), they should fight and we will support them. However, Congress should also show similar support to other political parties.”
But her support came with a rider. “The policy cannot go like TMC supporting you in Karnataka and you go against me in Bengal. If you want to achieve something good, then you have to sacrifice in certain areas,” she further added.
Reacting to Banerjee’s statement, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said the party is not giving much importance to it. “Once Mamata Banerjee compared Congress with ‘gandi talaab (dirty pond)’ now she is supporting them! We don’t know what she will say after 10 days. It’s not a matter of calculating how the opposition will get united after the Karnataka election results. Let me ask her, who will be your prime ministerial face? We are not giving much importance to them,” she said.
Also Read | Beginning of BJP’s end: Mamata Banerjee on Karnataka mandate
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