Big Setback To INDIA Bloc, TMC Says It Will Contest All 42 Lok Sabha Seats In West Bengal

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Friday said that there is no change in the party's position on alliance and seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Kolkata: In a major setback to the opposition INDIA alliance, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday said that it will contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. TMC MP Derek O'Brien confirmed this development and added that the party is also in the fray in a few seats in Assam and the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya.

BREAKING NEWS : TMC नेता डेरेक ओ ब्रायन का बड़ा बयान, कहा- 'बंगाल की 42 सीटों पर अकेली चुनाव लड़ेगी टीएमसी'#BreakingNews #LokSabhaElections2024 #TMC #ZeeNews @ramm_sharma pic.twitter.com/4jkCwwXig4 — Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 23, 2024

Mamata Banerjee Firm On Solo Fight In Bengal

Addressing the media, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien reiterated Mamata Banerjee's earlier announcement, stating, "A few weeks ago, the TMC Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that TMC is fighting all the 42 seats in Bengal. We are also in the fray in a few seats in Assam and the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya. There is no change in this position." This reaffirms Mamata Banerjee's consistent stand on fighting alone in Bengal.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee severed ties with the Congress, asserting that TMC would go solo in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls, dealing a substantial blow to the opposition INDIA bloc. She emphasized, "I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country, but we are a secular party, and in Bengal, we will alone defeat the BJP."

AAP Follows Suit: Solo Venture In Punjab

In response to TMC's decision, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also declared its decision to go solo, this time in Punjab.

Congress-Samajwadi Party Forge Alliance In Key State

Meanwhile, in a contrasting move, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party announced a strategic seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Apart from its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress revealed plans to contest Varanasi, Ghaziabad, and Kanpur seats in Uttar Pradesh. The formal announcement of the alliance detailed that Congress would contest 17 seats, with the Samajwadi Party taking on the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state.

The success of this seat-sharing pact represents a notable achievement for Congress, which has faced challenges in negotiating seat-sharing with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. This alliance marks a significant development in the political landscape as parties align themselves strategically in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections.