KOLKATA: Hours after West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee made a loud and clear announcement ruling out an alliance with the INDIA bloc partner Congress in the eastern state for the 2024 general elections, Rahul-Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Bengal on Thursday.
“I am happy to have come to West Bengal. We have come here to listen to you and stand with you. BJP-RSS are spreading hatred, violence and injustice. So, INDIA formation is going to fight away injustice together,” Gandhi addressed a gathering at Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar.
He flew to Bagdogra airport and returned to Delhi on Thursday as the party planned to resume the event on January 28, after the Republic Day celebrations break.
The yatra will be closely watched against the backdrop of Mamata’s announcement expressing her discontent for not informing her about Gandhi’s event despite being scheduled to travel through various districts in the state. Gandhi is also visiting the state for the first time since campaigning here for the 2021 Assembly elections.
The Congress’s event will cover Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Darjeeling, and North Dinajpur before reaching Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also believed to be upset over the delay in seat-sharing negotiations. The yatra will re-enter West Bengal and pass through Malda and Murshidabad, two strongholds of the grand old party.
Ruling out an alliance in Bengal, Mamata on Wednesday announced that her party would fight alone in all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming general elections. Her decision to go alone is believed to be a jolt to the INDIA alliance.
In the previous Lok Sabha elections, BJP bagged victory in 18 seats, making deep inroads in Bengal, and Mamata’s party won 22 seats. Later in the by-election in Asansol, the TMC snatched the seat from the saffron camp following BJP MP Babul Supriyo’s defection to Bengal’s ruling party.
Taking forward the narrative of Mamata’s announcement to fight the LS polls alone, TMC supporters staged a demonstration at Bakshirhat when Gandhi entered Bengal after visiting north-east states.
“Some will try to create disturbance during Nyay Yatra, but it will not work. As the leader of our party will start travelling through the districts in the state, scores of people will join the event, and nothing can stop the people who will be with the Congress,” said state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.