New Delhi: There is no forward movement in finding a middle path between the Congress and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal seat sharing after the former attempted to revive the negotiations, sources said on Wednesday.
It is “status quo” between the I.N.D.I.A allies with a senior Congress leader saying that Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury “remains the biggest stumbling block” in finding “some forward movement” in the negotiations.
Chowdhury, Bengal Congress president and party’s Lok Sabha leader, has been opposed to any truck with the Trinamool and attacking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on a regular basis.
After Mamata made it clear that she would not she will not leave any of the 42 seats for Congress as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rolled into her state, Congress recently indicated that it was willing to sacrifice its claim on one of the two seats in Meghalaya to strike a deal.
Mamata had offered just two seats earlier though Congress was demanding nine seats. Congress later scaled the demand down to six.
Congress had initiated backroom negotiations to find a common ground but both sides could not “move an inch”, sources said.
The possibility of entering into an alliance with the Left Front is higher than that of Trinamool at present, a senior leader said.
Congress central leadership had not reacted to Mamata’s outbursts against the party so far though Chowdhury continued his attacks on the Trinamool supremo.
Congress has had electoral understanding with the Left Front in the last Assembly election but both sides ended with not a single seat in Assembly. Both the Congress and the Left have been on a decline in the state.
Published 28 February 2024, 11:25 IST
