Congress is part of war on BJP: Mamata

NEW DELHI: Ending all speculation that she is involved in a cold war with UPA Chairperson and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that no grand national political alliance against the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections can be cemented without the Congress as a partner. Banerjee made the crucial announcement after a meeting with Sonia Gandhi at the latter’s residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The TMC leader outlined her strategy to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power at the Centre in 2019, explaining that the Opposition parties must ensure that there are 1-1 contests in every constituency of the country. “The basic formula,” she explained, “is that the strongest party in any seat will take on the BJP there. In this way, we will ensure that the Sangh Parivar is defeated hands down throughout India.”

The TMC leader was also upbeat about the coming Karnataka Assembly polls on May 12 and expressed confidence that the Congress would be voted back to power in the state and shatter the BJP’S south Indian dreams. “Whenever I come to Delhi, I meet Soniaji. She was also unwell… thus I came here to meet her,” she told mediapersons here.

“We also had discussions on the one-to-one fight against the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections. That is the way to take on the BJP,” the senior politician contended. The TMC supremo, who had been one of the stakeholders of the erstwhile Vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre, feels that the incumbent BJP is focusing only on political vendetta… rather than on serving the people.”

Banerjee also snubbed all the reports that she had vouched for a “Congress-free” federal front, saying that Congress' participation in the non-bjp forum is not an option but a must. “The regional parties should come in one platform, but we want Congress' support. Congress is in alliance in many states with regional parties… like with the RJD in Bihar. We also want Congress to win in Karnataka,” she added.

TMC MPS Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'brien and West Bengal minister Arup Biswas too were present during the meeting with Sonia Gandhi. Referring to the Congress party's new president Rahul Gandhi, the West Bengal Chief Minister pointed out that he is busy with the coming Karnataka elections and could not, therefore, attend Wednesday's meeting in the national Capital.

Later in the evening, Banerjee also had a telephone conversation with former UP chief minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and had a detailed conversion on the formation of the federal front. “Akhilesh's party is with us,” confirmed a TMC source.

Earlier in the day, dissident BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha met Banerjee and appreciated her efforts to bring together all regional forces against the Modi Government ahead of the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee also held discussions with Arun Shourie, who had served as minister in the Vajpayee gov- ernment. After the meeting, Shourie, who has been critical of the Modi government, said that the Tranamool Congress chief 's theory of putting up a one-onone fight against the BJP in every state is the right path to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“If the one-on-one formula is implemented, the Opposition will be able to corner 69 per cent of votes,” Shourie said. Though Yashwant Sinha did not clarify on whether he or Shatrughan Sinha would join a united force against the BJP, he said.