Siliguri (West Bengal):Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge spoke with TMC Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday day after she snubbed the grand old party and said her party will go alone in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the party is hopeful of finding a solution to the seat-sharing impasse with the TMC. Ramesh, while speaking to reporters at the Bagdogra airport here, maintained that the Congress cannot think of an INDIA bloc without Banerjee, as she is indispensable in the fight against the BJP in the country.
"If we want to defeat the BJP in Bengal and India, Mamata Banerjee is very much needed. Our leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge have immense respect for Mamata ji, he said. Highlighting the chief minister's significance as one of the "important pillars of the INDIA alliance," the Congress general secretary said "no one can imagine the grouping without Mamata Banerjee and the TMC.
Speaking about the TMC chief's decision to fight alone in West Bengal, Ramesh said the Congress is keen to tide over the seat-sharing stalemate. I don't want to make any running commentary on seat-sharing, but we want this impasse to end and we will find a solution, he said.