West Bengal CM Mamata firm on ‘ekla chalo’ in Bengal, ready to meet Rahul | India News

KOLKATA: Despite Congress overtures, CM Mamata Banerjee Saturday reiterated TMC will go solo in Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. After Banerjee put brakes on the possibility of a TMC-Congress alliance on Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi called her up the same day to inquire about her wellbeing after her car was involved in an accident. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also texted after the accident, sources said.

Sources said Banerjee had offered Berhampore and Malda South to Congress, and was even willing to consider a third.However, as Rahul Gandhi asked for “10-12 seats”, seat-sharing talks faced a roadblock. Congress later scaled down to six seats, but the CM reportedly said, “Non-BJP regional parties want to defeat BJP. We will sit and decide how to do it after the (LS) polls.”

Banerjee, however, indicated she was ready to meet Rahul during her north Bengal tour. Rahul, leading the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, will be in north Bengal during her visit.
On the impending exit of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar from the INDIA bloc, Banerjee said it would help the RJD-Congress combine in the LS polls.