Mamata Banerjee's clarification regarding the Trinamool Congress's position within the INDIA bloc aims to dispel any confusion arising from her earlier remarks. Despite Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's skepticism, Banerjee affirmed that her party remains aligned with the INDIA bloc at the national level, while emphasizing that there is no formal alliance between the Congress, CPM, and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
During an election rally in Haldia, Banerjee reiterated her commitment to the INDIA alliance, which she founded, and urged voters to resist attempts by the Congress and CPI(M) to divide votes in Bengal. She emphasized that while there is no electoral alliance in Bengal, the alignment with the INDIA bloc in Delhi would continue.
Chowdhury, however, expressed distrust towards Banerjee, accusing her of abandoning the alliance. He highlighted the perception that Banerjee's remarks about supporting the INDIA bloc implied a shift in alliances, which he viewed with suspicion.
Banerjee also addressed the contentious outcome of the Nandigram seat in the 2021 Assembly elections, where she was defeated by her former aide-turned-BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari. She alleged electoral malpractices orchestrated by the BJP, including the manipulation of administrative officials and a deliberate power outage on polling day. Banerjee vowed to pursue justice for what she perceived as an unjust defeat, indicating her determination to challenge the electoral outcome through legal means.
