A significant rift has surfaced within the Congress party following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s stern rebuke of West Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury over his remarks on Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee’s role in the Opposition INDIA bloc.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Chowdhury emphasized his commitment to preserving the integrity of the West Bengal Congress. “If someone will try to destroy Congress, I will oppose them. My fight is to save the West Bengal Congress; and being a party worker, I cannot stop this fight,” Chowdhury asserted. His comments came in the wake of Kharge’s declaration that Chowdhury had no authority to determine Banerjee’s position in the opposition alliance.
This intra-party conflict began last Wednesday when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her intention to support the INDIA bloc from outside should it secure a victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Chowdhury responded the next day with skepticism, questioning Banerjee’s reliability and suggesting that her support was opportunistic. “I don’t trust her. She left the alliance and ran away. She can also go towards the BJP,” Chowdhury remarked. He further criticized Banerjee for not clarifying her reasons for distancing herself from the alliance.
Chowdhury’s harsh critique prompted Kharge to issue a public reprimand. “As far as Congress leader Adhir Ranjan’s remark is concerned, he is no one to decide anything. The top leaders and high command will decide that, and those who won’t follow the same will be out of the party,” Kharge stated, underscoring the hierarchical decision-making process within Congress regarding alliances.
The discord highlights the ongoing tensions within the opposition ranks as they navigate alliances ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee’s TMC had previously resolved to contest the elections independently in West Bengal following disagreements over seat-sharing with the INDIA bloc. Despite this, Banerjee has expressed willingness to support the opposition coalition externally if it means unseating the BJP.
