In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the opposition parties are going to take on the BJP under the banner of India Alliance.
But no consensus is being reached among the constituent parties of the alliance regarding the distribution of seats. There is a tussle over seat sharing in West Bengal between the constituent parties of the Indian alliance – Congress and TMC.
It is being told that behind closed doors, the ruling party TMC in West Bengal has decided to contest elections on all 42 seats of Bengal.
Earlier, TMC was offering the existing two seats to Congress, but after the recent meeting of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, it is coming out that TMC can contest elections on all 42 seats in Bengal. Now Congress is on the path of going solo.
Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Choudhary has given a statement on TMC contesting elections on all seats in West Bengal.
He said that he does not care what TMC is doing. Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary said, “I don’t care. Our leaders have spoken on this issue.
I have reached here by contesting and winning elections. I know how to fight and how to win.” Let us tell you that Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Choudhary has been winning the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat of Murshidabad since 1999.
According to the 2011 census, the district has the highest Muslim population in Bengal at 66.28%. However, like CPI(M), Congress could not win a single assembly seat in Bengal in 2021.
What happened in Mamta’s meeting
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior TMC leader said, “In the meeting, when Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir said that the presence of Adhir Ranjan Choudhary was a big factor in Murshidabad, Banerjee got furious. He told Kabir in an angry tone that Choudhary is not a factor at all as TMC won all the assembly constituencies in his constituency in 2021 and also won the other two Lok Sabha seats in the district – Murshidabad and Jangipur in 2019. “Mamata Banerjee said in the same breath that TMC can contest all 42 seats in Bengal,” the leader said.
After the meeting, Kabir said the same thing in front of the media. He said, “TMC is far ahead of Congress in Berhampur, Murshidabad and Jangipur in terms of vote share in the 2021 elections. Chaudhary is working like an agent of Bharatiya Janata Party. That is not a factor. TMC can win all 42 seats in Bengal.”
Although Congress and CPI(M) had earlier said that the India alliance model would not work in Bengal as they are opposed to both TMC and BJP, things took a new turn on December 19 when alliance leaders met in Delhi. Hui.
At the meeting, Banerjee said she would not field candidates from Malda South seat in Berhampur and neighboring Malda district, which has been held by the Congress since 2009.
Tension increased between Adhri and Mamta
Malda district has the second largest Muslim population in Bengal. Abu Hasem Khan Choudhary, one of the two brothers of former Union Minister ABA Ghani Khan Choudhary, holds the Malda South seat.
However, after being offered seats by Mamata, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary did not shy away from giving a statement against her. He said that he does not need TMC’s bailout.
A few days ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Bengal, developments on Friday marked a twist in the ongoing tussle over seat sharing.
Choudhary recently traveled to Manipur and held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. He said on Tuesday that it would not be difficult to resolve differences with other parties on seat sharing.
However, he did not specifically name Bengal. Some Congress leaders said Choudhary has been advised not to speak publicly against TMC and Banerjee.
Adhir Ranjan Choudhary could not be contacted till 8 pm on Friday but one of his close aides, former Murshidabad MLA and senior PCC leader Manoj Chakraborty, opposed Banerjee.
Chakraborty said, “Whether Mamata Banerjee fields 42 or 442 candidates is not an issue, but Chaudhary is definitely a factor. This was proved when Congress won the Sagardighi assembly by-election in Murshidabad last year by defeating TMC. “Banerjee’s statement has exposed their fears.”
What kind of strategy is Mamata Banerjee looking for?
TMC leaders feel that Banerjee wants a poll strategy that would prevent the BJP from taking advantage of any split in the votes cast by the Muslim community.
The Muslim population of Bengal was 27.01% during the 2011 census and is now estimated to increase to around 30%.
Surveys have shown that changes in Muslim votes affect election results in at least 120 of Bengal’s 294 assembly constituencies.