TMC claims Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury led Congress to zero under his leadership in West Bengal

The Trinamool Congress has come down heavily on Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remark regarding Mamata Banerjee's Goa Polls entry. Hitting back, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Saturday raked up the grand old party's election drubbing in the West Bengal Polls, saying that even the BJP did not consider the party as the Opposition. Launching a personal attack against Chowdhury, Bandyopadhyay said that under his leadership as the state-unit chief, Congress' number had come down to zero. 

"Under Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's leadership, Congress' number has come down to zero in West Bengal Assembly. BJP considers TMC as the Opposition, not Congress or CPI (Marxist)," Sudip Bandyopadhyay told ANI. 

'Mamata making way for BJP in Goa': Congress

Accusing TMC of 'indirectly backing' BJP in Goa Elections 2022, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that Mamata Banerjee was inducted into the Union Cabinet at the behest of Congress. Raking up the upcoming Goa polls, where the TMC is looking into making inroads, he said Mamata was 'making way' for the saffron party. "Under the guise of opposing the Congress party, she has been extending all her cooperation to BJP in reality. The fact is that due to Mamata Banerjee's effort of demolishing Congress, BJP will end up as the greatest beneficiary," he said. 

"Mamata Banerjee is making way for BJP in Goa. She is indirectly supporting them. BJP will benefit from the formation of this federal front. She thinks that Congress will not perform in Goa, but has forgotten that Congress helped her become a Central minister," he added. 

TMC-Congress faceoff

The war-of-words between Congress and the TMC began after Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Earlier this month, Banerjee stressed on the need to build a strong united force, outside the UPA, to lead the fight against the BJP in the 2024 general assembly elections. Her call was supported by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar who held a series of meetings and a joint press conference with the West Bengal CM in Mumbai. When asked if the UPA under Pawar could also work to be an alternative force, she asked, "What is UPA, there's no UPA anymore."

Retaliating to remarks of TMC, Congress outlined that it has a government in several states while it is the main opposition in others. "It should not be that the Opposition should start fighting amongst themselves and benefit the BJP," senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge stated.