Kolkata. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee had approached Congress President Sonia Gandhi with a proposal for an alliance in the Goa Assembly elections, but there was no positive response from the Congress. This information was given by TMC National Vice President Pawan K Verma. The Congress, not keen on an alliance with the TMC, termed it “an unreliable ally” which is trying to grow at its expense. The Congress said that due to the isolation of the TMC at the national level, Mamata Banerjee was forced to approach it.
Verma told PTI, “A few weeks ago, Mamata Banerjee herself reached out to Sonia Gandhi and asked her to leave behind what happened in the past and look forward to a fresh start in 2022. Sonia ji said that she will reply after discussing this with her party leadership but till date no response has come.
Confirming the development, TMC’s Goa in-charge Mahua Moitra said the Congress said it would respond in two weeks but “no progress” was made. The relationship between the Congress and the TMC had reached its lowest level in 2021. The TMC had then hit out at the Congress over its alleged failure to fight against the BJP, terming it an “incompetent and unfit” party that has gone into “deep sleep”.
Referring to his meeting with Congress leader P Chidambaram in Delhi on December 24, Verma said the proposal for an alliance between the Trinamool Congress and the Congress for the Goa Assembly elections to be held in February failed to elicit any positive response. Asked why the Trinamool Congress wants an alliance with the party whose leadership was accused of failing to fight against the BJP, Verma said she wants the opposition alliance against the BJP to be strengthened. He said, “We should forget the past and move forward. We have to stop BJP in Goa. Strange, Chidambaram is now saying that there was no concrete proposal.”
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When contacted, P. Chidambaram said that he does not want to indulge in “rhetoric” and has already spoken on the issue. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury left no stone unturned to hit out at the TMC and said its claim of forming a united front against the saffron camp was a “well-crafted drama” after being isolated in national politics. Not less than. Chowdhary, a member of the Congress Working Committee, told PTI, “TMC is reaching out to Sonia Gandhi in desperation.
After the opposition meeting called by Sonia ji on 20 August, TMC suddenly took a turn and started attacking the Congress – from abusing our leadership to poaching our leaders in other states including Meghalaya.” Accusing the TMC of “doing everything to weaken the Congress”, he said that the Congress has lost its strength and cannot lead the opposition alliance.
He said, “The efforts of TMC to lead the opposition alliance failed when other parties categorically stated that there can never be an opposition alliance without Congress. TMC is agent of BJP and destroyer of Congress. They are now approaching when they have been isolated in politics at the national level. They are not reliable allies.”
According to Congress sources, the party is not inclined to forge an alliance with the TMC in Goa as it is confident of victory on its own. (agency)