File picture of TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Enthused by the party’s victory across six Assembly seats in recently concluded bye-elections, Trinamool Congress MP and chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Kalyan Banerjee, said that party chairperson Mamata Banerjee should be accepted as leader of the Opposition INDIA bloc.
“The Congress and other opposition parties should admit their failure. They should drop their ego and accept Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the India alliance,” the MP for Serampore said.
The Trinamool Congress, though a part of the INDIA Alliance, contested the Lok Sabha polls on its own. The party’s leadership has often been critical of the Congress and said that it should listen to the advice of other parties in the Opposition grouping.
TMC unchallenged
In bypolls held across six seats in five districts of West Bengal, not only did the Trinamool Congress win all the seats, but the Opposition parties failed to pose a challenge despite the fact that the government was facing criticism on several fronts, including over the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Congress party, which went solo, without an alliance with the Left Front, lost deposits on all seats. West Bengal’s ruling party has often stated that it faces three opposition parties: “Ram ( BJP), Baam ( Left parties), and Shyam (Congress).”
Reflecting on the results, Kalyan Banerjee said that there will be no opposition in West Bengal, not even in 30 Assembly seats.
“While the Congress and others have fallen behind, Mamata Banerjee has resisted the BJP. There is no place for ego; we have to accept failure. I will appeal to everyone to accept that nothing will happen without Mamata Banerjee.”
Mr. Banerjee’s remarks received support from a section of the party, with party leader Kunal Ghosh saying that it is a fact that Mamata Banerjee has been able to resist the BJP, whereas in most cases Congress and other regional parties have failed.
Sukhendu shunned
The remarks were made a day before a crucial meeting of the Trinamool Congress leadership at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence, where the entire top brass of the party is likely to be present. Sources in the party said that party leader Sukendu Sekhar Roy, who was critical of the State government during the recent protests over the rape and murder of a doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, has not been invited.
Meanwhile, the BJP leadership is flustered over the loss in Madarihat, which is considered a party bastion. This is the first time the Trinamool Congress has registered a victory here. Madarihat is located in the Alipurduar district. The BJP registered a lead of about 11,000 votes in the Lok Sabha polls and lost the seat in the bypolls by a margin of over 28,000 votes. Alipurduar MP and former BJP MLA from the seat, Manoj Tigga, said that he has sent a report to the party on the loss.
Published – November 24, 2024 09:18 pm IST