Another bad news is coming for India alliance. After West Bengal and Punjab, now there may be a shock in Bihar.
Speculations about JDU supremo Nitish Kumar’s return to NDA have intensified. Amidst all this, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday spoke to Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to find a solution to seat sharing.
Let us tell you that Congress became worried due to Mamata’s announcement on Wednesday that no talks are going on on seat-sharing in Bengal. TMC announced to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone in the state.
The Indian Express quoted senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh as saying that Kharge contacted Mamata Banerjee on Thursday to find the way forward.
Refusing to share details of the conversation between the two, Jairam Ramesh only said that the objective of Mamata and the India alliance was the same. Both want to defeat BJP in Bengal and outside Bengal.
Sources said Kharge also sent a letter to Mamata inviting her to join Rahul Gandhi during his Nyay Yatra in Bengal.
TMC had claimed that Congress had not even informed them about it. “Kharge, Rahul and everyone in the party will be very happy and proud to have him a part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” Ramesh told PTI. “Even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
Let us tell you that this effort of Congress is an attempt to bring TMC back into the India alliance.
However, TMC on Thursday blamed Congress’ West Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the failure of seat-sharing talks.
Senior TMC leader Derek O’Brien said, “There are three reasons why the alliance is not working in Bengal. Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary and Adhir Ranjan Choudhary.” In response to this, Aghir Ranjan said, “He (O’Brien) is a foreigner. He knows a lot. You should ask him.”
Amidst all this, on Thursday, the Indian alliance was troubled by the speculations about Nitish Kumar’s friendship with BJP again.
The departure of the Bihar Chief Minister from the India Alliance will be a big blow for the Congress, because it was he who had laid its foundation on June 23 last year. Leaders of 15 opposition parties met at Nitish’s official residence in Patna and decided to form an alliance to take on the BJP.
Just seven months later, Nitish Kumar is showing signs of increasing disillusionment with the alliance. Recently he had rejected the offer to become the convener of India. He himself took charge of JD(U).
Congress sources have also admitted that at such a time, Nitish Kumar’s exit from the India alliance could be a fatal blow. With Nitish’s departure, it will become easier for BJP to taunt and corner the alliance.
Let us tell you that the defeat of Congress in the recent assembly elections has almost wiped it out from the Hindi belt. The hopes of the alliance largely rest on Bihar and to some extent on Uttar Pradesh.
Nitish’s exit may also upset the electoral mathematics. However, a section of Congress leaders are hopeful that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav can compensate for this and garner sympathy votes.