TMC breaks up with Congress, announces solo contest in Bengal
I had given them (Congress) a proposal (on seat-sharing), but they refused it at the outset. Our party has now decided to go alone in Bengal, says Mamata
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata: In a major setback to the opposition INDIA bloc, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that her party has decided to go alone in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Banerjee's comments came a day before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter West Bengal.
"I had given them (Congress) a proposal (on seat-sharing), but they refused it at the outset. Our party has now decided to go alone in Bengal," Banerjee said amid the seat-negotiation tussle between the Congress and the TMC. The surprise announcement of the TMC's decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls independently, a day before Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' entered Bengal, caught the grand old party off guard, prompting them to state, "no one can imagine the existence of the opposition INDIA bloc without West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee."
The TMC boss also denied media reports of seat-sharing talks, and asserted that she has not spoken to anyone in the Congress on the issue.
Let the Congress fight 300 seats on its own (in the country). The regional parties are together and can contest the rest. However, we will not tolerate any interference by them (Congress) in Bengal - West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
No one can imagine the INDIA alliance without Mamata ji. The INDIA bloc will fight the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal and all (partners) will participate
- Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh
