KOLKATA: Perceiving that an amicable seat-sharing formula with Congress is not possible in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to send feelers to the grand-old party to choose between it and the CPI(M)-led Left Front as a partner for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, party insiders said on Saturday.
According to them, the top TMC leadership are upset with the Bengal Congress unit targetting its national general secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, despite the national leadership of the country’s oldest national party being soft about him.
"Despite the constituents of the opposition INDIA alliance, including Congress leader C. Venugopal, expressing solidarity with Abhishek Banerjee who was unable to attend the first meeting of the coordination committee on September 13 as he was summoned by Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning, the state Congress leaders here have continued their salvos, especially targetting him equally like CPI(M) leaders," said a senior party leader and a member of the state cabinet on strict condition of anonymity.
"Understanding that this is CPI(M)'s political compulsion, why should the state Congress leaders adopt the same line? So, in such a situation, it is for Congress’s national leadership to decide whether they want to move with us or with CPI(M) in West Bengal," added the senior leader.
It is learnt that the Trinamool Congress leadership has also decided not to go for any discussion with the Left Parties at any point in time on the seat-sharing formula. The ruling party in West Bengal will inform the Congress leadership about the number of seats of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats it will spare and then it will be up to Congress to decide how they divide the spared seats with CPI(M).