Congress alters ‘Nyay Yatra’ route in Bengal after Mamata junks coalition talks

Kolkata: With Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee recently putting a lid on any possible seat sharing between her party and the Congress in Bengal for Lok Sabha polls, the latter party seems to be trying to woo her by altering the routes for “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” led by Rahul Gandhi in the state.

Congress has already cancelled programmes in Falakata, Dhupguri, Maynaguri. Sources said Congress may conclude the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” in one phase. Earlier, the programme was scheduled to be conducted in two phases. Highly placed sources said that Congress will not afford to lose Trinamool Congress as its alliance partner ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

Mamata had also alleged that the Congress never bothered to inform her that the rally will pass through Bengal but the Congress had claimed that it invited TMC - an INDIA bloc ally- to join the march. She had

said: “I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in

the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we alone will defeat the BJP.”

Soon after Banerjee cleared her stand, Congress sought to contain the damage to the INDIA alliance and said that she is an “important pillar” of the bloc, and that “speed breakers” along the journey do not imply an end to the journey itself.

Incidentally, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging the latter to provide security to those taking part in their party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi as it will be passing through Bengal.