New Delhi: Hours after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she will go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, the Congress on Wednesday sought to contain the damage to the INDIA alliance and said that she is an “important pillar” of the bloc, and that “speed breakers” along the journey do not imply an end to the journey itself.

The TMC on the other hand has reiterated Banerjee’s position and said that in West Bengal it is the only party that can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking to The Wire, TMC spokesperson Sushmita Dev said that, “The AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) was very emphatically clear about finishing seat-sharing talks by September 30. But it didn't happen. Then December 3 came when the assembly election results were announced and then it was decided let’s conclude seat-sharing talks by December 31. But even that did not happen. In these circumstances the AITC chairperson (Banerjee) is of the view that if anybody can defeat the BJP in Bengal it is the TMC.”

“That was the very idea behind the INDIA alliance,” she added referring to the goal of defeating the BJP.

Dev said that Banerjee is clear about working with the INDIA alliance on a national level.

“Didi is crystal clear that she stands with the alliance for the simple reason it is crucial for the country to fight the party that has harmed federalism, democracy and harmed every institution and she will not step back,” said Dev.

Earlier on Wednesday, addressing a press conference in Assam’s Barpeta during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress MP and general secretary media in-charge Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress “cannot imagine the INDIA alliance without Mamataji”.

“Her (Banerjee’s) full statement says that we will defeat the BJP. We will not take any step back to not defeat the BJP. We are entering Bengal with this idea. When you are on a long journey, there can be some speed breakers, some red lights. This does not mean that we will leave the journey. We will cross the speed breakers, red lights will become green lights,” said Ramesh.

“The same question was asked to Rahulji yesterday. And he said that Mamataji is a big leader, of India, of Bengal, of the TMC and she is an important pillar for the INDIA alliance. We cannot imagine the INDIA bloc without Mamataji. We are hopeful that what Mamataji said that we will defeat BJP will remain the idea. The talks are on. Some middle path will emerge and the INDIA alliance will fight the elections in West Bengal as an alliance and there will be cooperation among all the parties.”

Ramesh’s statement came hours after Banerjee told reporters that she will go it alone at least in Bengal and the INDIA alliance will be for the rest of the country.

“We had given them a proposal and they had turned it down. Since then we had decided that we will go it alone in Bengal,” she said.

Referring to the Bharat Jodo Yatra which will enter West Bengal through Cooch Behar on Thursday, Banerjee said that she had not been informed about the yatra.

“They are doing a yatra, but have they even informed me even once that we are coming to your state? No they have not. Hence I have no communication with them about Bengal. We will think about what to do or not to do on an all-India level, we are a secular party and we will do everything to defeat the BJP.”

Ramesh said during his press conference that the Congress had already invited all INDIA alliance partners to the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

“Kharge (Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge) has already spoken, Rahulji has also spoken about it. If there was a written invitation I will check and let you know. But I know that Khargeji has already said at least three or four times in his speeches that we are inviting all INDIA alliance partners and he has spoken to every alliance partner. I don’t know in what context she has said this. But I know she has said that we will defeat BJP and with this idea Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter Bengal,” he said.

Later on Wednesday, when reports emerged that Banerjee had suffered injuries on her way back from Burdwan to Kolkata in an accident, Ramesh promptly tweeted that the Congress wished her a speedy recovery.

“We have just heard of the injury suffered by Mamata Banerjee-ji in a car accident. We wish her a full and speedy recovery,” he wrote on X.

“The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is looking forward to entering West Bengal tomorrow late morning. January 26 and 27th being break days, the Yatra will resume on the 28th.”

The Congress has faced questions from its INDIA alliance members about the timing of its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra just four months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, when seat sharing arrangements are yet to be finalised.

In an interview with The Wire, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi however said that the yatra was being conducted at the “right time” and that the regional level leaders of the INDIA alliance has “already been a part of the yatra” from the flag off event in Manipur as well as in Assam.

“I think it is just a perception being created by the BJP to divide the INDIA alliance and sow seeds of mistrust. All these efforts of the BJP to try and divide us and create mistrust between us has come to naught. We are strong and on a very good wicket and we are extremely positive, and I really believe the combined weight of our organisations and ideological beliefs will be a force in the 2024 elections,” he said.

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