Mamata Banerjee to Campaign for Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad, Sets Aside Differences with Congress
News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/22nd June 2024
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reportedly agreed to campaign for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Wayanad, Kerala, marking a significant shift in her stance towards the Congress party. Sources indicate that Banerjee initiated the idea of Priyanka contesting from Varanasi, an idea also supported by Rahul Gandhi recently.
The decision follows a meeting between senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat in Kolkata. Chidambaram, representing the Gandhis, acted as an emissary to mend ties between the two parties amid recent tensions.
Previously, Banerjee had expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress, specifically blaming state party chief Adhir Chowdhury for the breakdown in alliance talks between the two parties. Despite this, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured a resounding victory in West Bengal during the recent Lok Sabha elections, winning 29 out of 42 seats.
In efforts to consolidate opposition unity without the Congress, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s second-in-command, has engaged with various political leaders across India. His meetings included discussions with Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, AAP’s Raghav Chadha in New Delhi, and a visit to Mumbai to meet Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray.
Further efforts were visible when a TMC delegation, comprising MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Sagarika Ghose, and Saket Gokale, met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai to jointly demand a SEBI probe into alleged stock market manipulation on exit poll day, sidelining the Congress once again.
To assuage TMC’s concerns and strengthen opposition unity, Congress deployed Chidambaram for direct talks with Mamata Banerjee to resolve differences. This move aimed to bridge gaps and restore collaboration between the two parties, considering TMC’s pivotal role as the third-largest opposition party in Parliament.
Following the discussions, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, known for his critical stance against Mamata Banerjee, softened his approach during a Pradesh Congress internal meeting in Kolkata. He clarified that his differences with Banerjee were purely political and not personal, highlighting their shared history of alliance talks before the 2011 Bengal Assembly elections.
Despite Chowdhury’s historical opposition to Banerjee’s leadership, the Congress faced setbacks in the recent Lok Sabha polls, failing to retain its influence in West Bengal despite forming an alliance with CPIM.
With the Congress leadership intensifying efforts to placate Mamata Banerjee, observers believe Chowdhury has little choice but to moderate his rhetoric. The ongoing efforts underscore broader attempts to consolidate opposition forces ahead of future electoral challenges.
