New Delhi: Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury launched a scathing assault on Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee for nominating Yusuf Pathan to contest from the Behrampore Lok Sabha constituency, which has historically been a Congress stronghold. Chowdhury urged that if Banerjee meant to honour Pathan, she ought to have nominated him for the Rajya Sabha as an alternative.
“If Mamata Banerjee had good intentions for Yusuf Pathan, she would have requested I.N.D.I.A alliance for a seat for him in Gujarat. However right here in West Bengal, he’s chosen as a candidate to polarise the widespread man and to assist the BJP, in order that Congress might be defeated,” information company ANI quoted Chowdhury as saying.
#WATCH | Murshidabad, West Bengal: Chief of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury says, “If TMC needed to honour Yusuf Pathan, they need to’ve despatched him to the Rajya Sabha as an alternative of sending ‘outsiders’… If Mamata Banerjee had good intentions for Yusuf Pathan, she would have… pic.twitter.com/hbV3D42aTo
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2024
Yusuf Pathan, hailing from Gujarat, has been fielded by the TMC for the Behrampore seat, at present held by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has maintained a grip on the Lok Sabha seat since 1999, having gained 5 consecutive phrases. Chowdhury accused the TMC of strategically deploying a candidate in Behrampore to splinter Congress votes and bolster the BJP’s prospects.
Expressing his discontent, Chowdhury stated that Mamata Banerjee’s actions have uncovered her untrustworthiness as a political chief, cautioning in opposition to putting religion in her by any political get together in India.
“Mamata Banerjee has confirmed right now that not one of the political events of India ought to belief a pacesetter like her. Mamata Banerjee is in concern that if she continues to be within the I.N.D.I.A alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be sad. By separating herself from the alliance, she has despatched a message to the PMO, do not be sad with me, I’m not standing to struggle in opposition to the BJP,” ANI quoted Chowdhury as saying.
Earlier discussions between the Congress and TMC relating to a possible alliance in West Bengal hit a stumbling block over the difficulty of seat-sharing. Whereas the TMC proposed two seats, the state unit of Congress demanded 8-9 seats. The strained relationship between Mamata Banerjee and Adhir Chowdhury performed a pivotal function in impeding the formation of a coalition.
The disclosing of the 42 candidate names throughout TMC’s Brigade rally on Sunday put to relaxation speculations about an alliance between the Mamata-led get together and Congress in West Bengal, which encountered obstacles over seat sharing.
The Congress management additionally expressed shock on the announcement, with Basic Secretary Jairam Ramesh stating the get together’s intention to tackle the BJP alongside the TMC in West Bengal.