India

Mamata Banerjee Extends Support to Congress for 2024 Elections, Stresses Unity Among Opposition

Mamata Banerjee Urges Congress to Support Opposition Unity, Emphasizes Regional Strength in Seat-Sharing Formula

The recent Karnataka assembly election results have prompted a reevaluation of electoral strategies among opposition leaders for the upcoming 2024 elections. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had previously announced that her party, the Trinamool Congress, would contest alone in West Bengal, has now proposed a working solution for opposition parties to address their differences, with the inclusion of the Congress party.

Banerjee, a vocal advocate for opposition unity, has also held the Congress party responsible for rallying against her own party and indirectly aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal. However, during a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna, Banerjee emphasized the importance of regional parties playing a significant role in the fight against the BJP in the 2024 elections and included the Congress party in this strategy.

Speaking passionately, Banerjee stated, “Wherever regional parties are strong, the BJP cannot fight. The Karnataka verdict is a verdict against the BJP. People are antagonized. Atrocities are happening. The economy is ruined. Democratic rights are being bulldozed, and even the wrestlers are not being spared.”

The Congress party recently achieved a resounding victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls, securing 135 seats out of 224. In light of this, Mamata Banerjee proposed her new strategy, emphasizing that in regions where regional parties have strength, they should fight together. She cited examples such as Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress would contest, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would focus on Delhi, and in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Congress would form a coalition. Banerjee further mentioned the alliances in Chennai (DMK and Congress) and Jharkhand (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress). However, she acknowledged that the final decisions on these alliances and seat-sharing formulas are yet to be made.

Banerjee emphasized that while regional parties should take on the BJP in their strongholds, the Congress should concentrate on winning seats where they have a strong presence. She stated, “I think wherever the regional parties are strong, whether it’s UP, Bihar, Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, or many other states, the strong party must be given priority. And wherever Congress is strong in their 200 seats or something, what we have calculated, let them fight, and we will support them.”

Moreover, Banerjee stressed that the Congress party should also extend support to other political parties. She noted that while she supports the Congress in Karnataka, she expects the same level of support from them in West Bengal. Banerjee concluded by stating, “There should be a level playing ground to save the country, save democracy, and save the people of this country.”

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and other regional parties, including Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP), have indicated their willingness to explore alliances with various regional players ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These developments come in the context of ongoing discussions among opposition party leaders on forming a united front against the BJP in the upcoming national elections.

As the opposition gears up for the crucial 2024 elections, the support extended by Mamata Banerjee to the Congress party signifies a significant step towards strengthening opposition unity and creating a formidable front against the ruling BJP. The coming together of various regional parties and the Congress indicates a collective effort to challenge the BJP’s dominance in the political landscape of India.

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