Not in talks with Congress; contest LS polls alone: Mamata
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Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that the party is not in any talks with Congress and it is going to contest alone in Lok Sabha polls in the state, The Indian Express reported.
She said that rumours that the party is in talks with anyone is a lie and absolutely wrong.
“I have had no talks, no talks with anyone… no talks at all. It’s all lies. Absolutely wrong,” TIE quoted her from Howrah. However, she added that non-Congress regional parties are having an alliance.
She said that Congress declined her initial offer of two seats, and therefore, the party decided to fight alone in Bengal.
“My initial proposal has already been rejected by them,” she was quoted.
She said that even after TMC is a part of the INDIA bloc, Congress did care to inform her about their Bharat Joro Nyay Yatra in the state, “even as a matter of courtesy”, she said.
“I have no relations with the Congress as regards Bengal,” she said.
She further said that the party will decide what its plans are on the national level after the elections. She promised that TMC is a secular party and it will do anything needed to thwart the BJP. But at present, there are no discussions on seat sharing, she asserted.
She said that the INDIA alliance involved more than one party and that regional parties would stay together. They have said that Congress could contest 300 seats and regional parties in 72. If Congress is not ok with it, “we will see what is to be done,” she said.