Congress state chief responsible for failed alliance in Bengal: TMC

New Delhi: It is Congress West Bengal Chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who keeps Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress from an alliance in the state, TMC leader Derek O'Brien alleged on Thursday. His statement comes a day after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee banished chances of an alliance between the parties in the state, PTI reported.

Mamata had said that her party will contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls "alone".

"Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury," O'Brien told reporters here.

He also claimed that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) had many detractors, but only two -- the BJP and Chowdhury -- have repeatedly spoken out against the bloc.

The TMC leader further alleged that Chowdhury was working at the behest of the BJP.

"The voice is his, but the words are being dictated to him by the duo in Delhi. In the past two years, Adhir Chowdhury has spoken the language of the BJP. Not once has he raised the issue of Bengal being deprived of central funds," O'Brien said.

"He even endorses ED actions in Bengal when they are against Trinamool. He holds special press conferences to belittle Mamata Banerjee and barely speaks against BJP leaders," he added.

Asked whether the TMC remains part of the INDIA grouping, O'Brien said, "After the general elections, if the Congress does its job and defeats the BJP on a substantial number of seats, the Trinamool Congress will very much be a part of the front that believes and fights for the Constitution and plurality."

Banerjee's sudden comments on Wednesday forced the Congress to adopt a conciliatory approach, with party general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh asserting that the opposition bloc INDIA "cannot be imagined without Mamata Banerjee".

O'Brien, however, stressed that the TMC has "turned the page".

The Trinamool Congress had been upset with Chowdhury's repeated attacks on Banerjee. The Congress leader recently called the West Bengal chief minister an "opportunist" and said that his party would fight the polls alone.