“Will provide outside support to INDIA bloc”: Mamata Banerjee
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had momentarily paused her involvement in the INDIA bloc amid disagreements with the Congress over seat-sharing, now appears to be extending an olive branch.
On Wednesday, she announced her readiness to offer “external support” to the Opposition coalition if it secures power after the general election.
“We will provide guidance and support to the INDIA alliance, standing beside them from the sidelines. Our aim is to establish a government that ensures the welfare of Bengal’s women and addresses the concerns of those participating in the 100 Days’ Job scheme,” she asserted.
However, Banerjee was firm in delineating the composition of the INDIA bloc, specifically excluding the CPI(M) and the Bengal Congress, led by her adversary and prominent Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury.
“It’s important to note that the INDIA Alliance does not include the Bengal Congress and CPI(M); they have aligned themselves with the BJP. My reference pertains to the political landscape in Delhi,” she clarified.
On Thursday, she further reiterated this stand at an election rally in Tamluk, also asserting that the “INDIA alliance was my brainchild”. She said that the “INDIA alliance was my brainchild. We are together at the national level and will continue to be together,” but “do not count on the CPI(M) and the Congress in Bengal. They are not with us, they are with the BJP here”.
This shift in Banerjee’s stance coincides with the completion of elections in 70 per cent of the country’s constituencies. Three rounds of elections are yet to unfold, including voting in Bengal during each phase.
With the BJP solidifying its grip on the Hindi heartland, the party is now eyeing to compensate for its deficit in the aim of capturing 370 seats by making inroads into the southern states and Bengal.
