Fissures in Congress over truck with Mamata, Kharge calls out Adhir
New Delhi, May 18
Conflicting view expressed by the Congress high command and the party’s West Bengal unit over CM Mamata Banerjee came out in the open on Saturday with party president Mallikarjun Kharge calling out state unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his frequent attacks on the TMC chief. The high command will decide on Mamata’s inclusion in the INDIA bloc, not Chowdhury, Kharge said, in response to a question on the possibility of Mamata supporting attempts by the INDIA bloc to form the government at the Centre.
Kharge was speaking at a press meet in Mumbai on Saturday. Several leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition were present at the event. “Mamata is with the alliance (INDIA). Adhir Chowdhury is no one to decide. We, the Congress party and the high command will decide. If someone does not fall in line with the high command’s decision, they will be out,” Kharge said.
The Congress president said the TMC chief had decided on joining the government if the INDIA bloc got ample number of seats. Responding to Kharge’s remarks, Chowdhury said his opposition to Mamata was not personal. “I cannot join forces with someone who is trying to destroy my party,” he said in response to a question. “My fight (against Mamata) is ethical, not personal. My opposition is to protect my party in Bengal. I am a foot soldier of the Congress and cannot stop my fight,” Chowdhury said in a press conference at Berhampore, Murshidabad.
Banerjee also touched the vexed issue once again today and told at a meeting in Hooghly’s Arambagh that there was no alliance of anti-BJP parties in Bengal. “The BJP-CPM-Congress have created a mess in Bengal. At the national level, we are with the INDIA bloc. Remember, I gave the name INDIA. If our government comes to power, we will remove the CAA and NRC,” Banerjee said. “Don’t give your vote to the Congress or CPM. I am enough to take on the BJP in Bengal,” she asserted. Earlier this week, the TMC supremo said she was ready to give outside support if the Opposition alliance was in a position to form the government.
It is believed that the Bengal CM cannot abandon the INDIA bloc completely as it could give rise to speculation over her supporting the BJP in case the saffron party needed her support. Such a propaganda could wipe out the Muslim support for the TMC.
