Kharge’s Posters Defaced in Bengal After Congress President Snubs Adhir Ranjan Over Mamata

Kolkata: Rift within INDI Alliance in West Bengal is appearing to have spread within the Congress party in the state as the party looking to have split into two groups after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge warned Bengal Congress Unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his continuous remarks on TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee. It is being claimed that the alleged angry supporters of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in West Bengal reportedly went a step ahead and smeared the pictures of Kharge with black ink at the party office in Kolkata and other places and raised slogans against him.

The incident appears to have escalated the tussle between the state Congress unit and the national Congress leadership over ties with the Mamata Banerjee led party in Bengal.

Sources claimed that the party workers are miffed over Mallikarjun Kharge’s warning to Adhir Ranjan. Chowdhury’s supporters on Saturday went to the Pradesh Congress Bhavan in Kolkata and spread ink on Kharge’s pictures present inside the office. Reportedly, several posters and hoardings of Kharge were defaced with ink in front of the party's state headquarters here on Sunday as well.

Unidentified persons also wrote ‘agent of TMC’ on Kharge's pictures, say sources

Not only this, a few unidentified persons also wrote ‘agent of TMC’ on Kharge's posters and hoardings.

This has come up a day after Kharge allegedly snubbed West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for questioning TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's loyalty to the INDI Alliance.

However, sources claimed that Chowdhury, who is in his hometown Baharampur, has expressed his displeasure over the incident. He has also asked party workers to remove the defaced posters and also lodge a police complaint over the alleged incident.

Meanwhile, a few of the local Congress party leaders have alleged that the entire incident was crafted by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with an intention to create differences between the senior Congress leaders and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in West Bengal.

TMC chief cannot be trusted, says Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Earlier, Congress President Kharge on Saturday had snubbed Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his remarks on Mamata Banerjee, asserting that he is no one to take a decision on whether Banerjee should be a member of the Opposition-led INDI Alliance or not.

Kharge, while responding to a query on Mamata Banerjee's comment that if the INDI bloc forms the government at the Centre, her party would support it from outside, had rebuked Chowdhury for his remark that the TMC chief cannot be trusted and that she might go with the BJP.

"Mamata Banerjee is with the alliance. She has recently said that she will join the government. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not take the decision. The decision will be taken by me and the high command and those who don't agree will go out," Kharge had said.

On the other hand, Chowdhury too responded to Kharge's statement, saying, "I cannot speak in favour of someone (referring to Mamata Banerjee) who wants to finish me and our party in Bengal politically. This is a battle for every Congress worker. I have spoken on their behalf. I don't want the state Congress to be used for her personal agenda and then finish the organisation."

He even stated that he will keep speaking for the Congressmen, working at the grassroots in West Bengal, even if Mallikarjun Kharge speaks against his views.

Notably, despite claiming to be the part of the INDI Alliance, the TMC is contesting the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in West Bengal solo, while the Congress and the left party are contesting in the state jointly as part of INDI bloc.