Describing Mamata Banerjee as an important pillar of the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on January 24 said it cannot imagine the coalition functioning without the West Bengal chief minister. He also hoped that a solution could be found so that the alliance partners stay within the coalition and jointly take on the BJP in the upcoming general elections. The apparent rift reportedly emerged over seat-sharing expectations and Congress' Bengal chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdury's persistent attack on Banerjee.