New Delhi/KOLKATA: On a day Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking appropriate directions for a smooth passage for Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, including Rahul Gandhi, the grand old party asserted that despite BJP’s best efforts to cause “mini-implosions” inside the Opposition alliance, the INDIA-bloc was not imploding.
The remarks came amid reports that Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar may return to the BJP-led NDA.
Earlier, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee had stated that her party will contest the Lok Sabha elections “alone” in Bengal.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool on Saturday asserted that its leader, Mamata Banerjee, has never indicated a departure from the Opposition bloc at the national level, despite recent announcements of the party’s decision to contest the Lok Sabha polls in Bengal alone.
TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh said: “ Our leader Mamata Banerjee has already explained the whole situation and she also made our stand clear. The way Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury continuously kept maligning our party, our government, Mamata Banerjee, he was helping BJP...he was doing politics as BJP agent. Now, the Delhi leaders are trying to do damage control but the final decision related to this will be taken by our leader Mamata Banerjee.”
This clarification comes in the backdrop of seat-sharing tussles between TMC and the grand old party.
The Congress has adopted a conciliatory tone, acknowledging Mamata Banerjee’s significance within the INDIA-bloc and expressing optimism about resolving the seat-sharing deadlock.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday seeking appropriate directions to ensure its smooth passage through the state and the safety of the yatris, including Rahul Gandhi.
Kharge said the Congress has embarked on the “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” from Manipur to Maharashtra to spread the message of justice to heal and unite the nation.
The Congress president said the Bharat Jodo Yatra went across the country without any untoward incident and culminated in a rally in Kashmir.
“However, some miscreants targeted the current Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in your neighbouring states. This has been done on political instigation but our cadre faced it bravely…I am writing to request you that you may kindly issue appropriate directions to ensure smooth passage of the yatra through Bengal and ensure safety of the yatris, including Rahul Gandhi,” Kharge wrote to Mamata Banerjee.
Kharge had earlier spoken to Banerjee soon after she announced that the TMC would contest the Lok Sabha
elections alone.
The Yatra entered Bengal in Cooch Behar on Thursday morning and after a two-day break would restart from Jalpaiguri with a padayatra.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said: “The Congress wants TMC chief Mamata Banerjee to participate in the Yatra and we will welcome her. She should take out some time for the yatra.”
Mamata whose North Bengal tour coincides with the Yatra, on being asked if she would meet Rahul Gandhi, said: “If he (Rahul Gandhi) wants to come, he may do so, my North Bengal itinerary has already been announced. If he comes, we can have a cup of tea together.”