Sonia sends Mamata proposal for six Parl constituencies in Bengal
Amid much confusion over seat-sharing talks in Bengal between the two parties for the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is now learnt to have sent the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee a proposal concerning six seats.
Sources said that Sonia Gandhi has written to Banerjee, proposing her to take a call on a sharing agreement over six parliamentary constituencies. These six seats are Berhampore, Malda (South), Murshidabad, Darjeeling, Raiganj and Purulia.
It was learnt that the Congress has set a deadline of 10 days for TMC to convey its decision, indicating that the party wants the agreement to be finalised by January 20.
Political observers are of the opinion that such a proposal from Sonia also points to Congress’ intention to enter into an alliance with the TMC and rule out any speculations that it may also tie up with the Left in Bengal. This also showed that the Congress is determined that TMC will be a necessary ally in its fight to dislodge the BJP from the Centre.
However, even as the Congress high command is facilitating the seat-sharing agreement, the state unit of the party is rattling sabres with the TMC.
On Tuesday, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, reacting to the demand of the state Congress unit to leave them 10 seats, likened it to that of a child’s whim. He said that children often ask for chocolates or biscuits more than they can eat and Congress is behaving in a similar manner.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy said that the state unit of Congress has no intention of entering into an alliance with TMC which is allegedly neck-deep in corruption.
In such a situation, it was learnt that Congress’ Bengal observer for Lok Sabha polls, Ghulam Ahmad Mir is coming down to Bengal on January 15 to discuss the seat-sharing issue with the state Congress unit. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also expected to reach North Bengal from Assam on January 27 as part of his Nyay Yatra.
