Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Party on Friday shattered the hopes of the Congress of having an alliance with the ruling party in West Bengal ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, saying that there has been no change in the party’s stance of contesting on all 42 seats in the state. The TMC’s decision to go solo is being considered a massive jolt to the INDI Alliance, which was hopeful of a pact in the state after a seat-sharing formula has reportedly been finalised between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh.

Derek O'Brien stated that there is no change in TMC's stance to go solo in West Bengal

TMC leader Derek O’Brien stated on Friday that there has been no change in the party’s stand of contesting all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. This fresh statement from the party has come up amid reports about the Congress trying to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement with Mamata Banerjee’s party in West Bengal. 

Not only West Bengal, the TMC leader has also said that the party will contest a few seats in Assam and one seat in Meghalaya.

With this decision, it is being considered that the TMC has crushed the last hope of the INDI Alliance, which the party was a part of, ditching the promises made unitedly during the meetings to take on the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier, it was being said that after the talks on seat-sharing reportedly reached a conclusion in Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have agreed to contest the elections together with 63 and 17 seats respectively, an arrangement could soon be formulated in West Bengal as well between the Congress and the TMC.