Mamata Banerjee declared that her Trinamool Congress (TMC) would go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, ending the ‘marriage of convenience’ with the Congress. The simmering discord over seat-sharing, which had been brewing for the past two months, finally erupted into the open. This decision, just a day before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was scheduled to enter West Bengal, has added a new dimension to the political dynamics in the state.
The strained relationship between the TMC and Congress reached its breaking point as Mamata Banerjee accused the Congress of rejecting all her seat-sharing proposals, leading to the decision for the TMC to contest all 42 seats in Bengal independently. The discord, exacerbated by the relentless criticism from state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, unfolded gradually over the past two months. The verbal sparring intensified, with Chowdhury labeling Banerjee an “opportunist” and even using the term “dalal” (broker) to describe her.
Source: BusinessToday
The lack of clarity within the Congress regarding its stance on the TMC has been an ongoing issue. While Mamata Banerjee maintained a positive rapport with Sonia Gandhi, the state Congress leaders, led by Chowdhury and Abdul Mannan, have been vocal critics of the Trinamool. The state unit holds Mamata’s party responsible for the Congress’s decline in Bengal, accusing it of luring away their leaders.
The initial signs of discord emerged when the TMC proposed that the Congress should contest only two out of the 42 seats in Bengal, denying their request for 8–10 seats. The proposed seats, Berhampore and Malda South, were strategically significant for the Congress. Mamata Banerjee suggested a seat-sharing formula based on the parties’ performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 West Bengal polls. However, the proposal faced resistance, leading to a breakdown in negotiations.
Source: Natun Gati
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s persistent attacks on Mamata Banerjee further fueled the tensions. He accused her of creating a “bahana” (excuse) to divide the votes between “Modi and Didi” (Mamata Banerjee’s colloquial title in Bengal). The situation escalated when the TMC decided to contest all 42 seats, including Chowdhury’s stronghold, Berhampore. In response, Chowdhury declared that the Congress would contest the Lok Sabha elections independently, asserting the party’s ability to navigate the elections without Mamata Banerjee’s support.
In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Rahul Gandhi intervened, acknowledging his close association with Mamata Banerjee and downplaying Chowdhury’s comments. Despite Gandhi’s efforts, Mamata Banerjee announced the end of the alliance, and the TMC is unlikely to join the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi when it enters West Bengal.
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Source: BS
While senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh extended an olive branch, expressing the impossibility of imagining “I.N.D.I.A without TMC,” the rupture between the two parties appears irreparable. The political landscape in West Bengal now faces a paradigm shift as the TMC gears up to face the Lok Sabha elections independently, leaving behind a chapter of political alliances and discord.
