Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy has blamed Congress for not taking initiatives to project Opposition unity to take on BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also said “some people” were blaming TMC for “continuing with their expansion plan”.
At a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Roy cleared the air on the growing rift between both parties, who had joined hands together to stop BJP’s juggernaut ahead of the next general elections, and said, “Mamata requested Sonia ji to take initiatives… we could not see any initiative (from Congress). Now, some people are blaming us… we have to go ahead with our expansion plan.”
According to political analysts, TMC wants to put their record straight that they are serious about the opposition unity while Congress is not.
Congress, however, has blamed the TMC for carrying out a “propaganda” by poaching their leaders. “Any party can expand anywhere but the propaganda which the TMC is doing with the Congress is not right. TMC should handle their party first,” said Congress MP Pradeep Bhattacharya.
Former Congress chief minister of Goa Luizinho Faleiro, who joined TMC last month, was also appointed as TMC’s national vice-president ahead of Banerjee’s Goa visit on October 28. Sushmita Dev, who was national spokesperson of Congress and chief of All-India Mahila Congress, joined TMC in August.
TMC insiders say the party’s main target is BJP but if Congress becomes weak then it cannot make them strong. “TMC has always said they want a united opposition but others will also have to do the same.” TMC wants to be the main alternative and they are aggressive about it, but they want opposition parties to unite in this objective.
