TMC Minister Tapas Roy holds Cong responsible for BJP's rise in WB, slams Adhir Chowdhury

The war of words between TMC and Congress escalated after West Bengal Minister Tapas Roy held the Sonia Gandhi-led party responsible for BJP's rise in the State. A day earlier, WB Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury advised TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to fight under his party's leadership to stop BJP. He accused TMC of trying to finish Congress, which he claimed was the only party to "keep secularism intact for 100 years". 

Addressing a press briefing, Roy alleged, "By practising strident and blind anti-Mamata policy in Bengal, Pradesh Congress Committee president Adhir Choudhury dragged State politics backwards. That, in turn, resulted in the emergence of forces like the BJP." Moreover, the TMC took on BJP by asserting that WB shall never be turned into Gujarat. Apart from citing the 2002 riots, the TMC leader claimed that his state scored over Gujarat on several parameters including fighting crime and female literacy. 

Read: 'BJP More Dangerous Than Covid': TMC MP Nusrat Jahan's Jibe Leaves Malviya Angry At Mamata

Anti-BJP front offer

Earlier on Wednesday, the Mamata Banerjee-led party appealed to the Left Front and Congress to back West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in the fight against BJP. Speaking to the media, MP Saugata Roy observed, "If the Left Front and the Congress are genuine anti-BJP forces, they should line up behind Trinamool Congress, because Mamata Banerjee's party is the only party fighting against the communal and divisive politics of the saffron party. Mamata Banerjee is the real face of secularism." However, the CPI(M) openly rubbished this offer and opined that TMC is seeking their help as its "corrupt faces" cannot pose a challenge to BJP. 

Read: BJP's Sovan Chatterjee Claims Mamata Govt Tapped His Phone; TMC Says 'use WhatsApp/Signal'

Congress stitches alliance with Left parties

For the West Bengal Assembly polls due in April-May this year, the Congress party has decided to ally with the Left parties. Incidentally, the CPI(M)'s central committee had approved the alliance in October 2020 itself. In 2016 WB Assembly polls also, Congress and CPI(M) had stitched an alliance to take on the might of the Trinamool Congress. However, this tie-up did not fetch dividends as Congress and CPI(M) bagged 44 and 26 seats respectively in the 294-member Assembly. While Congress and CPI(M) have hinted at conducting a joint rally at the Brigade Parade ground in Kolkata, they are yet to finalise the seat-sharing formula. 

Read: TMC's Appeal To Congress & Left Stirs Row In West Bengal; BJP Mocks 'desperate Mamata'

(With PTI inputs)