The opposition bloc INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), formed to challenge the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, faced a setback as two key regional leaders, Mamata Banerjee and Bhagwant Mann, openly criticized the Congress, revealing internal divisions within the alliance.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her party, Trinamool Congress, would contest the state elections independently after a dispute with the Congress over seat sharing. Banerjee accused the Congress of making unreasonable demands and delaying negotiations. She proposed that Congress contest 300 seats nationwide, leaving the rest for regional parties, but the Congress did not agree, according to TMC.
Simultaneously, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had no ties with the Congress in the state and confidently declared that AAP would win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in the 2024 elections.
The Congress, responding to Mamata Banerjee’s decision, asserted that the INDIA alliance could not exist without her, and that the alliance would participate in the West Bengal Lok Sabha polls despite the differences.
While the Congress may navigate a resolution with Mamata Banerjee, the situation in Punjab appears challenging. The breakdown of talks between Congress and Trinamool in West Bengal has caused concerns among other INDIA partners. The alliance’s future dynamics depend on how the Congress manages its alliances in states where regional parties are dominant and unwilling to play a secondary role to the Congress.
Dhairya Saraswat