Rift Widens Among INDI Parties As TMC Calls Congress' Adhir Ranjan a 'Trojan Horse'

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee slammed West Bengal's Congress leadership by calling its state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury a ‘Trojan Horse.’ 

The remarks by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's apparent heir came amid seat negotiation tussle between the Congress and TMC, which last week announced for solo run in West Bengal in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

Abhishek Banerjee pointed out that matter of seat sharing in the state has been a lingering issue since the initial INDI bloc meeting in Patna. He added that TMC has been open for dialogue since the beginning, urgin the Congress leaders to discuss sharing of seat for upcoming polls. 

Expressing dismay over Chowdhury's demand of President's Rule in Bengal, Banerjee said, “How can Congress demand President's Rule in Bengal? Congress leadership in the state kept saying that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is doing good work in Bengal but not in Delhi.” 

"Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he wanted President's Rule in Bengal. He is Congress state president and being an INDIA bloc member, how can he challenge Mamata Banerjee? We did not attack. I never said anything, but he is a Trojan horse within the Congress ranks," he added.

The TMC leader even wondered if Chowdhury was strengthening the Congress of the BJP. 

TMC-Congress Tussle in Bengal: Rift In INDI Widens 

Hitting out at West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Trinamool Congress state general secretary Kunal Ghosh on Monday said that final decision of seat sharing is with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury acts as a BJP agent and colludes with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at the same time.

Kunal Ghosh said that Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury continuously maligns the image of TMC in public and that the top leadership of Congress should think about it.

"The final decision of seat sharing is with CM Mamata Banerjee. But the way Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury continuously kept maligning our party and government, he is working like BJP's agent and with CPI(M). Delhi leaders should think about this," Kunal Ghosh said.

Earlier Mamata Banerjee announced that her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party will fight Lok Sabha polls alone in the state. It came after speculations of tussle between INDI bloc partners in Delhi and Punjab as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) denied seat sharing in both the states. The opposition bloc also