SCOOP: Congress in talks with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool for alliance in West Bengal assembly elections

In a major scoop, sources told Republic that the Congress is trying to stitch an alliance with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool for 2021 assembly election in West Bengal. Sources also said that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi themselves are in touch with the top Trinamool leadership. In fact sources also said that Rahul Gandhi spoke to TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee about possible conditions for the alliance.

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The Congress after the massive poll drubbing in Lok Sabha elections 2019 faced a near existential crisis with its chief Rahul Gandhi resigning and the party being without a president for months. Last week, the party chose UPA chairperson and former president Sonia Gandhi as its chief all over again. This move is largely seen as a result of undemocratic process and reluctance of the Congress party to handover the top position to a Non-Gandhi. Despite all these development, the Congress is applying its old failed tactics that all Opposition have to come together to defeat the winning juggernaut of the BJP. Sources informing about the development also added that the final call will be taken by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

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Congress has informed the state leadership in West Bengal to go soft with TMC on every issue. To stitch an alliance, senior leaders like Ahmed Patel, P Chidambaram are getting in touch with the senior leaders of the Mamata-led party.

Meanwhile, the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool faced a fierce fight from the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The BJP won 18 seats while the ruling Trinamool won 22 seats in the states. There has been violent clashes between the BJP and TMC in the state before and after polls. Moreover, there has been a direct and fierce war-of-words between the top leadership - Mamata Banerjee and BJP duo Narendra Modi- Amit Shah. In midst of crucial political situations, the Trinamool roped in Prashant Kishor, the VC of Nitish Kumar led JD(U) to strategise the assembly elections.

READ: Prashant Kishor to meet Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool MLAs, will chalk out strategy for 2021 assembly elections