Post Congress' Karnataka Win, Mamata Decides to Support it in 2024; Party Says 'She Realised...'

After glimpses of strained ties with the Congress, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to support the grand old party in regions where it is “strong” in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The statement comes in the wake of tense relationship between the Congress and the TMC, even as Banerjee has been approaching regional parties to throw the Bharatiya Janata Party out of power.

Leaders of both the parties were seen openly attacking each other during political campaigns. The ties worsened last year when several Congress leaders joined the Trinamool Congress in Goa, Meghalaya and West Bengal just before state polls.

With the statement on Monday, for the first time, the TMC chief cleared the air on her party’s stand on a possible strategy for opposition unity in the electoral battle ahead.

“Wherever the Congress is strong, let them fight. We will give them support, there is nothing wrong (in that). But, they have to support other political parties, too,” she told reporters at the state secretariat.

”I am giving you the support in Karnataka, but you are fighting against me every day. That should not be the policy,” she said.

Banerjee made it clear that she expected the seat-sharing formula to give priority to regional players in areas where they were strong.

“Strong regional parties must be given priority. Wherever a regional party is strong, the BJP cannot put up a fight… People are very demoralised, frustrated… “The economy has already been ruined and democratic rights bulldozed; even wrestlers have not been spared. Therefore, I think whoever is strong in their region, they should fight together,” she said.

Citing an example, she said that in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav (and his Samajwadi Party) should be given priority.

“However, I am not saying that Congress should not fight in UP. Let us decide, nothing is in the final stage yet,” the CM added.

Congratulating people in Karnataka for their mandate in favour of change, the TMC chief had earlier said that “brute authoritarian and majoritarian” politics has been vanquished.

She had also forecast that the BJP would lose in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, too, where it faces off with the Congress.

Reaction from Congress’ Over CM Mamata’s Offer

Expressing his displeasure with the TMC chief, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said that when election campaigning was on, Banerjee didn’t appeal for any Congress leader’s victory.

“She goes to UP, Bihar but did not come to Karnataka where Congress was fighting. And after party’s big win in Karnataka, she realised that it is difficult to move ahead without the Congress,” Chowdhary added.

“If Sonia ji was not there, you would never have got a chance to capture power in Bengal in 2011. Later you worked to drive out the Congress?” the leader reacted.

On the other hand, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar welcomed Banerjee’s statement. “I’m really happy that today Mamata Banerjee has come out with some statement. It is good for the opposition.”

(With inputs from PTI)