Amid talks of Opposition unity Cong-TMC lock horns over lone Cong MLA joining TMC

Jairam Ramesh termed it is as a "complete betrayal of people's mandate" while Mamata Banerjee argued that regional parties have their "own obligations".

Kolkata:Ahead of forging a common Opposition alliance to fight against BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday locked horns with each other with Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh accusing TMC of engaging in poaching their lone MLA while the party supremo Mamata Banerjee came down heavily saying regional parties have their own obligations.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today clarified that all Opposition parties were contesting unitedly at the national level but, at the state level the parties have their own obligations. Also she confirmed her presence at the upcoming Opposition meet at Patna.

"We have contested only at Meghalaya and Goa....we want our presence in three - four places that's it. It is not just about winning but for the vote percentage. When Congress contested in other states, we never disturbed them. Infact, we have always extended our support to them. Only one MLA joined our party from the Congress. Anyone can say anything, it is their choice, I will only thank Jairam Ramesh or anyone who criticises me," Banerjee said.

On Monday, Bayron Biswas, who won Sagardighi by-poll on Congress ticket, joined the TMC in presence of party MP and chief minister's nephew Abhishek Banerjee. In Sagardighi by-poll that was held on February 27, TMC's Debashis Banerjee had lost to Biswas by a margin of 22,000 votes. Responding to Biswas's joining, Banerjee said that it was an issue that was being handled by the local party unit.

Earlier, in the day, senior Congress leader Ramesh slammed the TMC for poaching its lone MLA and alleged that it was a "complete betrayal" of the people's mandate. Taking to Twitter, Ramesh said: "Three months after he was elected as a Congress MLA in a historic victory Bayron Biswas has been lured away by the TMC in West Bengal. This is a complete betrayal of the mandate of the people of the Sagardighi Assembly constituency. Such poaching which has happened earlier in Goa, Meghalaya, Tripura and other states is not designed to strengthen Opposition unity and only serves the BJP’s objectives".

Also, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday lashed out at Banerjee and Abhishek over Biswas's joining saying they were luring MLAs from other parties.

Meanwhile, on the proposed opposition meeting that is likely to be held in Patna in the third week of June, Banerjee said that she had asked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to hold the meeting there. "It is in the Hindi belt and also I like the place. So, I told Nitishji (Nitish Kumar) to hold the meeting in Patna. I have already confirmed that I'm going to attend it," she said.