’Trinamool willing to support Congress if...’: Mamata Banerjee after Karnataka result

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, May 15, 2023: Days after the Congress’s landslide win in the Karnataka Assembly election, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday hinted at supporting the grand old party in states where it is prominent. However, she also said Congress should reciprocate the same attitude towards the TMC if it wants her support.

 

"Wherever Congress is strong over its respective states, they should fight and we will support them. However, Congress should also show a similar support to other political parties," she said on Monday.

"The policy cannot go like TMC supporting you in Karnataka and you go against me in Bengal. If you want to achieve something good, then you have to sacrifice in certain areas," she further added.

Banerjee said Congress is strong in 200 seats, according to TMC’s calculation. Talking about the power dynamics in Uttar Pradesh, she said, "Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party is strong in UP so we should support it. However, I am not saying Congress should not fight there. We can discuss all that."

Banerjee proposed that the opposition in India should unite and support the party that is strong in its respective state. "Whoever is strong in any region should be supported. For example, AAP should be backed by all in Delhi, TMC in West Bengal, the JDU-RJD alliance in Bihar, and others," she said.

Further talking about Bihar, she said Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav are working with the Congress and can take their decision accordingly. Banerjee showing even a hint of support to Congress is quite rare.

When asked about any possible meeting with all opposition parties in the near future, she said she will visit Delhi by the end of this month. "I will be attending a Niti Ayog Government Council meeting on May 27, but there is no proposal for any opposition meet during that time in Delhi," she said.

In the past, she has been vocal with her criticism against the grand old party. In March this year, Mamata even ruled out the possibility of any alliance with Congress in the 2024 general election.

"In 2024, we will see an alliance between Trinamool and the people. We will not go with any of the other political parties. We will fight alone with people’s support," she was quoted as saying.

Hinting at an "alliance" between CPI(M), BJP and Congress, she had also said the ones voting (for the Sagardighi bypolls) for the CPI(M) or the Congress party are actually voting for the BJP.

Courtesy: India Today