'Jago Bangla', the mouthpiece of Trinamool Congress (TMC), slammed its Opposition INDI alliance constituent Congress for its humiliating defeats in the recently-held assembly polls in the states.
The editorial accused the Congress of fighting with a "zamindari mindset" against the BJP.
The TMC mouthpiece asserted that the grand old party should introspect the reasons behind its defeats in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram and rectify the issues ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"The Congress is fighting with a zamindari mentality. They should stop doing that. (West Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata didi (Banerjee) had suggested some activities to get the INDIA bloc moving, but they were not implemented by the Congress. The results in the four states will have negative effects on the INDIA bloc," he told Aaj Tak/India Today TV.
Mamata-Abhishek advice for Congress: 'One must learn and rectify mistakes and work unitedly'
The Trinamool Congress had reasons to feel frustrated. The Muslim voters have started gathering around Congress. Of course this happened in Telangana and BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has been ousted; Mamata Banerjee cannot allow this to happen in West Bengal -- where Muslim support base is her core source of stength. The Hindu voters irrespective of caste have from time to time deserted her.
Didi of 'aapa (Urdu word for elder sister)' and her powerful nephew/Bhaipo Abhishek Banerjee are just being pragmatic or politically correct.
Mamata Banerjee will not be attending 'I.N.D.I alliance' meet on Dec 6th and said, "I would have attended the INDIA bloc meeting if I had any information about it... But now I have scheduled a North Bengal tour and I intend to stick to that schedule". Her statement is a proof by itself that the meet has been convened all of a sudden --- without prior consultations and planning and yes, Dec 3 mandate was the trigger for the same.
Being 'discreet' was left to th Bhaipo and so Abhishek sounded philosophical: “Let the vanquished quickly rectify their mistakes because there’s not much time left. Let’s not waste any more time and work together".
He is also a 'coordination committee' member of the Opposition INDIA bloc. He too rushed to the Kolkata airport for Bagdogra near Siliguri in North Bengal. Another important notable factor in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 2021 assembly polls, the BJP had done extremely well in this part of the state. Mamata'a fiefdom had virtually crumbled.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has "reportedly convened" the next meeting of the INDIA bloc on December 6. Does the 'date' symbolise anything -- yes- the day Babri Masjid (structure as stated by BJP leaders) was brought down. Is there again a Muslim angle? Nevertheless when it comes to Gujarat elections -- either 2017 or 2022 - the Congress had 'played down' the occasion. A case of -- --"running with the the hare and hunting with the hounds".
But why should Trinamool play into Congress hands?
Abhishek will be in Kurseong to attend a family function and Mamata Banerjee has scheduled a week-long North Bengal tour beginning Dec 6.
“It’s the public who will decide whether it would be Mamata Banerjee or Rahul Gandhi or Uddav Thackerey or Arvind Kejriwal who would be the face of the Opposition bloc. I am no one to decide that. I am just a small fry, an ordinary worker of my party,” Abhishek said earlier in the day when asked whether the latest state poll results would lead to a change in leadership face of the INDIA bloc.
Asked about the possible impact the results may have on electoral fortunes in Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, TMC’s second-in-command said: “I don’t think there would be any impact of these results on the poll figures of Bengal. That’s because elections in Bengal would be fought on issues concerning this state.
"It won’t be fought on what happened in Rajasthan, MP or Chhattisgarh. Last time in 2018, when BJP lost in all the three states it won this time, the party maintained that it wouldn't impact BJP Lok Sabha poll fortunes. Going by their logic then, it should have an impact this time as well.”
“Let it be known that the current electoral triumphs don't automatically forecast the outcome in 2024. We stand united, resolute in our commitment to fiercely challenge BJP's perceived tyranny. Their tough fight is just beginning!” the TMC posted on its official X handle.
To rub it on, Mamata also referred to Congress arrogance vis-a-vis Samajwadi Party's demand for six states in Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath had even gone to the extent of saying, "Chhoro Akhilesh, wakilesh".
“They had asked for six seats. They could have, at least, been given three".
In the Rajasthan polls, she said, “The BJP secured less than 42 per cent votes and the Congress over 39.5 per cent. The non-BJP Opposition parties secured support from 12 per cent voters. If there were a proper seat sharing arrangement in that state, there’s no way that the BJP could have won that state".
“One must learn lessons from these results, rectify the mistakes and work unitedly in the INDIA alliance platform. If there’s proper seat sharing in the 2024 general elections, the BJP won’t return to power,” the Bengal chief minister asserted.
In her own style of playing with words -- as they would suit her -- she said, "the poll outcome was a defeat of the Congress and not of the people”.
“It wasn’t a BJP victory, but a victory of vote division,” she said.
Though Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav avoided attacking the Congress, he minced no words when he claimed the driver’s seat of the INDIA alliance in UP.
He reiterated his stance on a seat-sharing formula for the 2024 polls between the alliance partners.
“The party that is leading in a particular state should also lead the alliance in that state. Other alliance partners should chip in to defeat BJP,” he said.
In other words, he meant that the SP would lead the alliance in UP and Congress should back it. In West Bengal too, the Trinamool Congress had mooted such a proposal and wanted to have a final say in deciding which parties between Mamata Banerjee's outfit, Congress and the Left parties will contest which seats.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had red-flagged such a formula earlier.
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