Congress skips Bhabanipur by-polls, eyes good ties with TMC

The move of not contesting elections in Bhabhanipur by-polls has clearly indicated that Congress wants to keep its bond with Trinamool Congress intact in view of the 2024 general elections. A section of West Bengal Congress leaders told the party high command that they are willing to contest in Bhabanipur, a place from where Mamata Banerjee is going to fight. But Congress is not ready to give any benefit to BJP by fielding a Congress candidate.

New Delhi: The move of not contesting elections in Bhabhanipur by-polls has clearly indicated that Congress wants to keep its bond with Trinamool Congress intact in view of the 2024 general elections. A section of West Bengal Congress leaders had informed the party high command that they are willing to contest in Bhabanipur, a place from where Mamata Banerjee is going to fight.

However, the party high command instantly dismissed their appeal as the West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary announced, "We don't want to give any benefit to BJP and that is why we don't want to field any candidate in Bhabhanipur."

When asked about the same, Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya said to ETV Bharat, "If a party has decided that we need to do some kind of adjustment or alignment to form a consolidated opposition front against the BJP, then the party can do that."

As Congress and TMC share a blow hot, blow cold relationship, the two parties seem to have come together to form a strong alliance of opposition before BJP in the 2024 general elections. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi after defeating BJP in recent Assembly elections, where she emphasized opposition unity for 2024.

However, on the other hand, Mamata Banerjee's nephew and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on Congress soon after he stepped out of ED's office after a gruelling inquiry as he said, "Trinamool Congress, unlike others, will not sell it's spine or hide inside it's home. If BJP thinks it can frighten TMC by doing all this, if they think TMC will accept defeat like Congress and other parties, we will fight more vigorously."

While his statement has raised eyebrows in the political circles, Congress has maintained silence so far. "We don't want to put importance to an individual's aspect. Let the party spell out its stand, then we will react," Bhattacharya said to ETV Bharat.

Meanwhile, the state leadership continues its attack on Mamata Banerjee-led TMC. Chowdhary had alleged that TMC has recently attacked Congress workers and demonstrated against opposition leaders like him.

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