MAMATA BANERJEE

Is anti-BJP 'unity' possible as new Congress-Mamata spat erupts in Bengal?

Mamata Banerjee (File) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a Women's Day event | Salil Bera

Fresh tension has erupted between the Congress and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slamming the grand old party in Delhi.

Banerjee said on Tuesday, “When the Parliament session is on, Congress leadership falls at our feet. But when it is over, they incite their Bengal leaders to disturb me.”

Banerjee was pointing toward the distinct approaches the Congress adopts for Bengal and in Delhi. The Trinamool Congress chief did not name Congress president Rahul Gandhi directly, but it was clear who was the target of her verbal volleys.

The remarks of the chief minister of West Bengal came days after the Pradesh Congress in West Bengal had, along with the BJP, filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court against torture unleashed by the Trinamool Congress to prevent opposition parties from filing nominations for the three-tier panchayat elections.

While the BJP could file nominations in about 70 per cent of the total seats, Congress and CPI(M) were effectively left out completely with 10 and 20 per cent filing of nominations, respectively. The case is now being heard in the Calcutta High Court and a ruling is expected in a couple of days. However, the High Court ruled that till a ruling was given, the panchayat election process would stay suspended in Bengal.

Reacting to Banerjee’s outburst on Tuesday, state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury said that he had a brief conversation with Gandhi a few days back and Gandhi asked him to continue the campaign against the ruling party of Bengal.

“Rahulji told me that even if we are prevented by the ruling party (from filing nominations), we should not lose our hope. We must try to file nominations in as many seats as possible,” said Chowdhury, adding that he has sent a detailed report to the Congress president about the political situation in West Bengal.

Will such a political clash have any impact on the possibility of greater opposition unity against the BJP in the future?

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya thought it would not.

Bhattacharya said that he had lost hope for there being any understanding between Congress and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, but added there was nothing wrong in having a pact elsewhere.

“As far as West Bengal is concerned, I know that there would be no chance of a political understanding between Congress and Trinamool Congress party. But I am very optimistic that Trinamool Congress would help our party form the government at the Centre next year,” said Bhattacharya.

In fact, such an idea was sold to Banerjee as well, because of which Banerjee supported two Congress candidates, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Bhattacharya himself, in the recent Rajya Sabha election.

Singhvi, however, helps the Trinamool Congress by arguing many cases of West Bengal government in the Supreme Court, including the cases of the senior party leaders in Saradha chit fund and Narada sting operation cases.

Bhattacharya’s candidature was accepted by Banerjee as part of a “peace agreement” between the Congress and Trinamool Congress to checkmate the BJP.