Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised leaders within the Congress and other Opposition parties for mocking the Trinamool Congress after its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly election, warning that the BJP’s victory was a threat to Indian democracy.
“A day after the BJP’s massive win in Bengal, some in the Congress, and others, are gloating about TMC’s loss,” Gandhi said.
“They need to understand this clearly – the theft of Assam and Bengal’s mandate is a big step forward by the BJP in its mission to destroy Indian democracy. Put petty politics aside. This is not about one party or another. This is about India,” he added.
This was the second time in 24 hours that Gandhi publicly backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the BJP’s victory in the state.
Earlier on Monday, he had said, “We agree with Mamata ji. More than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised Opposition leaders celebrating the defeats of allies within the INDIA bloc.
“The kind of gloating coming from within own India Alliance over the failure of TMC and DMK is shameful to see,” Chaturvedi wrote on X.
She also referred to reactions following defeats suffered by Arvind Kejriwal and Tejashwi Yadav, as well as internal developments within the Aam Aadmi Party.
“These divides are exactly what the voters reject, and the BJP exploits,” she said.
Chaturvedi added that the Opposition’s improved performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election had been possible because of cooperation among alliance partners and urged parties to remember “the spirit of why INDIA came about in the first place”.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury blamed Mamata Banerjee for the BJP’s rise in Bengal.
“Mamata Banerjee laid out the red carpet and feasts for the BJP. And now TMC is suffering,” he said.
He added that Bengal had effectively become a two-party state dominated by the BJP and TMC, with both parties benefiting from political polarisation.