TMC 'committed' to INDIA bloc, but wants Congress to take backseat in Bengal

Trinamool Congress, which is abstaining from the virtual meeting of the INDIA bloc, Saturday affirmed its commitment to it but said that Congress should recognise its limitations in Bengal and permit the party to spearhead the political battle in it.

Top leaders of parties of the opposition INDIA bloc are holding discussions on Saturday on strengthening the alliance, chalking out a formula on seat sharing and deciding whether to have a convenor of the opposition parties' grouping. This is the second such attempt as the previous attempt tohold a virtual meeting a few days ago did not materialise.

A TMC MP, familiar with the situation, emphasising the party's "dedication" to the grouping said, "We are committed to the INDIA alliance and want to work together to defeat BJP. But we sincerely wish that the Congress leadership acknowledges the limitations and weaknesses of their Bengal unit and allows us (TMC) to lead the fight in the state." The TMC Friday said that Mamata Banerjee will not be able to attend the virtual meeting as she has "prior engagements and will not be able to change them at 16 hours notice".

"We were told no one else can attend as only one person is allowed from each of the INDIA constituent parties," he said.

Earlier, TMC had declined to send representatives to meetings with the Congress' national alliance committee on seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, citing its prior stance which it had communicated to the Congress.

The TMC had offered Congress two seats in West Bengal based on the result of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Congress, however, deemed the offer inadequate.

Last week TMC Lok Sabha Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay indicated the party's willingness to collaborate with the Congress but said the party will go solo if negotiations fail. Recently state Congress president and the party's leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is a vocal critic of TMC, asserted that his party will not "beg" for seats from TMC.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that TMC could consider sharing three to four seats with Congress out of the state's total 42 Lok Sabha seats.

In the 2019 elections, TMC secured 22 seats and Congress bagged two, while BJP secured 18 seats in the state. Chowdhury had won the Baharampur seat, while Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, a former union minister, secured a third consecutive win from Malda Dakshin.

Banerjee's proposal for an alliance between TMC, Congress and the Left in West Bengal in November last year met swift dismissal from the CPI (M) and criticism from some Congress leaders. Days later, she accused the two parties of aligning with the BJP and asserted that TMC would confront the saffron camp in West Bengal.

The TMC had allied with the Congress thrice in the past - the 2001 assembly polls, 2009 Lok Sabha elections and the 2011 assembly polls, which saw the ousting of the CPI(M)-led Left Front government of 34 years.