Adhir Chowdhury
Congress stood by her at crucial political stages — 2001, 2009 and 2011.
Kolkata: A day after former Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury said Mamata Banerjee should rejoin Congress without her baggage (read Abhishek Banerjee) and lead it in Bengal, Trinamool on Friday threw down the gauntlet back at Chowdhury, asking Congress and Left to join hands with it to “protect booths” in the Rejinagar bypolls on Oct 6. The same friendly gesture should be extended to our Congress candidate in Rejinagar. ” Admitting that there was “a difficult past”, Chowdhury added: “Congress workers in Bengal faced attacks and intimidation, our organisation was weakened and elected representatives crossed over to TMC. In Trinamool, we first discuss such issues internally before arriving at a decision,” he said.
Her support for the Congress candidate in Nandigram is welcome. Their sentiment, trust and acceptance cannot be ignored. But if Mamata Banerjee genuinely wants to return to Congress with her MPs and MLAs, we are prepared to work under her leadership in Bengal. The door is open for her return — but she must come without the ‘baggage’. Trinamool MP Sougata Ray dismissed this as Chowdhury’s personal opinion. “This is his personal opinion.
Chowdhury again posted on X on Friday: “Mamata Banerjee came from Congress. Even today, whenever political cooperation is required, she reaches out to Madam Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership.
Chowdhury’s statement also drew a cautious response from Pradesh Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar, who said Banerjee was welcome to join Congress, provided she “accepts the proposal” and “changes her ways”. Asked if Banerjee could lead the opposition alliance, Sarkar said the immediate question was whether she would accept the proposal. “Only then can we discuss the question of leadership,” he said. We will welcome her if she decides to carry the Congress flag again, but she must change her ways for that to happen,” said Sarkar.
Rejinagar, a Muslim-majority seat, is witnessing a multi-cornered contest within the opposition, with Congress, both factions of Trinamool, Left, AJUP and ISF fighting separately, threatening to split non-BJP votes. Rahul Gandhi had criticised her role in govt for that very reason.
“She (Mamata) changed her ways earlier and paved the way for BJP in Bengal.