Mamata Banerjee's Role in INDIA Bloc Questioned by Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

 

The Congress head for Bengal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, weighed in on the controversy surrounding Mamata Banerjee's status inside the INDIA group on Thursday, posing the question, "Is she in, or is she out?" This was said just before the Chief Minister declared that she still plays a significant role in the opposition party, referring to it as her "brainchild." Speaking on Banerjee's remarks on Wednesday that she would offer "outside support (if the group wins the elections)," Chowdhury remarked, "I don't trust her... she has left the alliance." She may even decide to join the BJP.

"I'm not sure what she will do from within the alliance or from the outside. The Congress leader told reporters, "You have to ask her, but I don't trust her." She could perhaps join the BJP now that she has left the alliance." Banerjee's clear declaration yesterday that "the Bengal Congress is not included in the INDIA alliance" served as a reminder that Chowdhury and Banerjee are still very much in love. A further statement made by Chowdhury was, "Any complaints about the (bloc) should have been raised when it was formed."

Chowdhury pointed out that the opposition alliance claimed major victories in its attempt to unseat the ruling BJP after voting on almost 70% of the Lok Sabha seats. This is when the apparent U-turn happened. He implied that Banerjee had changed her mind after learning the BJP might not win, stating, "They (the BJP) were talking about destroying Congress and that it wouldn't get 40 seats... but now what she is saying means Congress and INDIA are coming to power."

 

  One day prior, Banerjee declared that she would offer "external support" in the event of an electoral triumph. She had terminated her membership in the group due to public disagreements over seat-sharing arrangements. "We will lead INDIA and help from the outside," she declared. We intend to establish a government to ensure the well-being of our mothers, sisters, and those employed under the 100-day job scheme in Bengal."

 Banerjee reaffirmed her stance this afternoon at an election rally in Tamluk, declaring, "I am an essential component of INDIA... it is my creation. At the national level, we are and will continue to be together." Banerjee, however, made it apparent both yesterday and today that she does not consider the state branches of the CPM and Congress to be allies. The INDIA bloc's Congress and CPM have fielded candidates against the Trinamool and are opponents in Kerala but allies in Bengal.

 The chief minister of Bengal has frequently charged that the CPM and Chowdhury's Congress unit are informally affiliated with the BJP. "They are not with us... they are with the BJP here." Considered one of the bloc's most controversial members, Banerjee refused to give the party more seats than necessary earlier this year when Congress was having difficulty reaching agreements with its allies in INDIA over seat-sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She cited Congress's dismal performance in the 2019 elections, where it won only two out of 42 seats, and insisted that her party had the best chance of unseating the BJP in the state.

Following several turbulent weeks in January and February, Banerjee pulled away from the bloc. At the time, sources claimed to a news channel that they "couldn't find a third seat for Congress even with binoculars." As Banerjee and the Congress unit in Delhi failed to move seat-sharing negotiations further, she took particular aim at slights made to her by Rahul Gandhi on the 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra.'

The opposition, according to Congress, "cannot imagine INDIA without Mamataji." Through it all, Chowdhury persisted in criticizing the Trinamool, saying that Banerjee, a former member of Congress, is only successful in the state because of the party's "mercy." To be precise, Chowdhury was adamantly against Banerjee and the Trinamool forming an alliance.

The BJP is eager to keep its hold on power after winning the 2019 general election and the 2021 state election, and the Bengal battle is only one of several fronts on which it is doing so. On the campaign road, Banerjee, Amit Shah, the home minister, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are arguing about contentious matters such as the citizenship law. The final three phases of voting will take place, and results are anticipated on June 4.