TMC-Congress expressed affection before the 2024 Lok Sabha Election, but now there's a dispute in Bengal due to Adhir's B-Team statement, causing a stir. Congress and TMC are competing independently in West Bengal despite being part of the India Alliance, which was created to defeat the BJP-led NDA. However, a new conflict has arisen in the India Alliance in West Bengal during the Lok Sabha elections. TMC is claiming that Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, the Bengal Congress President, is working for the BJP. This is based on a video of Adhir Ranjan's speech in which he asked his supporters to vote for the BJP. Adhir Ranjan's words have a deeper meaning; let's explore why he said what he did.
The pre-election period was marked by a strong camaraderie between Congress and TMC. Mamata Banerjee, the TMC leader, was even seen reciting poetry by Rahul Gandhi. It seemed that the two parties would join forces for the election. However, TMC's decision to contest independently in Bengal has transformed this friendship into animosity, evident after the first two phases of voting. The leaders of both parties have made statements that underscore this shift in their relationship.
At an election rally, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, the President of Bengal Congress, stated that voting for the BJP is better than voting for TMC. He said that it is essential for the Congress and Left Front to win, or else secularism will be threatened. Voting for TMC is equivalent to voting for BJP, he claimed. Therefore, it is better to vote for BJP only. However, Adhir Ranjan later said that people should not vote for either BJP or TMC, but by then, the damage had been done.
Adhir Ranjan's statement sent shockwaves, particularly within Mamata Banerjee's TMC. The party responded by sharing Adhir Ranjan's video on social media, accusing Congress of being anti-Bengali and BJP's 'B team '. TMC labelled Adhir Ranjan as a B-Team member openly advocating for the BJP, a party that has allegedly denied Bengal its rightful privileges and encroached on the state's autonomy. TMC's post concluded that only someone who is against Bengal would endorse the BJP. The people of Baharampur, TMC asserted, will respond fittingly to this perceived betrayal on May 13.
Adhir Ranjan Choudhary is the Bengal State President of Congress and is contesting from Baharampur, which is why Mamata's party threatened him by mentioning his seat. When Congress leaders became aware of this, Jairam Ramesh stepped in to mitigate the damage. Jayaram stated that he has yet to see Adhir Ranjan's video and doesn't know the context. The purpose of the India Alliance, he said, is to reduce the number of BJP seats.
Mamata Banerjee has maintained a tough stance throughout, even though Jairam Ramesh attempted to downplay Adhir Ranjan's comments. Two days ago, Mamata targeted Congress in the Malda rally, saying that they do not have an alliance with Congress and CPM in Bengal. According to her, CPM is with Congress, and if people vote for Congress and CPM, they are essentially voting for the BJP. Congress and CPM are the BJP's two eyes. The dispute between Congress and TMC could directly benefit the BJP in Bengal, which is aiming to win 35 of the 42 seats this time.
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