Lok Sabha polls latest: Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary and in-charge of communications, on Sunday said that doors are still open for an alliance between the grand old party and the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the upcoming elections. Ramesh said that the grand old party is still hopeful and believes that when Banerjee says she is a part of the INDIA alliance, her priority is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ramesh’s comments come more than a week after Mamata Banerjee reiterated her party’s stand of going solo in the upcoming general polls. Banerjee said there was “no change” in the party’s stand of contesting all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, a few in Assam, and one in Meghalaya. The Congress, on the other hand, said talks were on with the TMC chief but seat-sharing was yet to be finalised.
“We have not closed any doors. She has unilaterally announced that she will contest all 42 seats (in West Bengal), well that is her announcement. As far as we are concerned, talks are still continuing, the doors are still open and the final word will not be said till the final word is said,” Ramesh told news agency PTI.
Furthermore, Ramesh said that the upcoming opposition rally in Patna is a joint one. “It’s a very significant political rally and it shows the opposition unity to defeat the BJP and its allies,” Ramesh said.
Not only did Ramesh give an update on the Congress-TMC seat-sharing in West Bengal, he also commented on the Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) after the regional party joined the BJP-led NDA alliance. The RLD joined the NDA alliance on Saturday weeks after the Narendra Modi-led central government conferred the Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
When asked about the RLD’s participation in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Ramesh said the “real” Lok Dal welcomed Rahul Gandhi during the yatra in Aligarh. He further said there were posters, hoardings and banners of former PMs Chaudhary Charan Singh, Indira Gandhi and the Lok Dal. “That was the real Lok Dal, asli Lok Dal, RLD is the nakli Lok Dal,” he added.
(With agency inputs)