In a stinging remark that reveals fissures in the INDIA bloc, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Congress had teamed up with the CPI(M) to strengthen the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.
Banerjee said she would never be able to forgive the CPI(M) as the Left party had “tortured” people of the state during its 34-year rule.
"I will never forgive the CPI(M). I will also not forgive those who support the CPI(M)... because by doing so they actually support the BJP. I have seen that in the last panchayat elections," she said.
Both Congress and CPI(M) along with Trinamool Congress are members of the INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP at the national level.
The chief minister said her party decided to contest alone in the Lok Sabha polls after the Congress declined her offer of two seats.
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"The Congress does not have even one MLA in the state assembly... I offered them two Lok Sabha seats, both in Malda, but they wanted more. So, I told them I will not share a single seat with them. CPI(M) is their leader... have they forgotten the tortures of the CPI(M)?,” she asked.
The chief minister’s remarks come even as the Congress maintained that the party was still trying to get her on board and that the seat-sharing talks in the state were only on hold.
"Till now things have not been finalised on our end. In an alliance, all members should speak in one voice. One-sided decisions cannot be taken... There are three parties in the INDIA alliance. If all these three want to fight separately, they should officially announce this. Till now we are considering that the INDIA alliance will fight together in West Bengal as well,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.
