Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), and their posssibility of forming a union ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections might have recived varied acknowledgement from various members of the parties, but when it comes to the West bengal State Legislative Assembly, Congress lost its only MLA to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led party.
Bayron Biswas, won the Sagardighi seat as a Congress candidate three month ago. Biswas, popularly known as Bidi Baron in his constituency switched over to TMC on Monday in the presence of the ruling party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Biswas joined the TMC in the Ghatal area in Paschim Medinipur district, and said the Congress had “no role in his victory”.
“To strengthen your resolve to fight against the divisive and discriminatory politics of BJP, you have chosen the right platform. Together, we will win!” the All India Trinamool Congress said on Twitter.
Biswas switched over to the TMC during the party’s ongoing mass outreach campaign – Trinamool eh Nabojowaar (New wave in Trinamool).
Biswas’ victory from the Sagardighi seat helped the grand old party secure representation in the state assembly, as it had failed to open its account in the 2021 assembly elections.
The jolt to Congress comes on a day when former union finance minister P Chidambaram suggested TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee start a dialogue on the basis of her call to back the Congress in states where it is strong provided there is reciprocal support to regional parties for the 2024 general elections.
CM Banerjee had earlier this month said her party will support the Congress where it is strong in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in return for reciprocal support to regional parties. Her statements came after Congress sealed a re-sounding victory in the crucial Karnataka Assembly Elections.
Notably, after CM Banerjee’s statements to back Congress, provided the Mallikarjun Kharge led party does not fight TMC in West Bengal, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury rejected CM Mamata Banerjee’s statements and said that Congress would definitwly contest elections against TMC in West Bengal.
Biswas joining the TMC comes at a time when parties opposed to the BJP are trying to forge an opposition unity in the fight against the saffron camp in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
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Updated: 29 May 2023, 08:43 PM IST