West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee’s rift with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is apparently widening with each passing day. It has been seen time and again that the TMC is not taking part in any programme led by Rahul Gandhi. The TMC was not in the programme called by Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. A Trinamool Congress MP said that the Congress never involves the TMC in any serious deliberation.
Although Rahul Gandhi called a meeting in Parliament more than once, the front-row Opposition MPs did not participate. Rajya Sabha MPs failed to attend another meeting convened by him at the Constitution Club. Interestingly, as per reports, Mamata Banerjee is supposed to attend a virtual meeting convened by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on 20 August.
It is pertinent to mention that the Opposition parties started rallying together just after the victory of the TMC in West Bengal in the 2021 Assembly elections. Mamata Banerjee has been vocal about the Opposition unity and espoused her support to it in order to stop the BJP juggernaut.
In Delhi, Mamata Banerjee held meetings with leaders of several Opposition parties and met everyone from Arvind Kejriwal and Kanimozhi to Sonia Gandhi. She called for building a united front to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Before Mamata’s visit, Prashant Kishor also went to the national capital and met Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
On similar lines, Rahul Gandhi went to meet the protesting farmers in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He also sent a representative to have talks with the TMC.
Rahul was accompanied by several Opposition leaders in the two programmes. Along with senior party leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Ambika Soni, leaders of other political parties including Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, RJD’s Manoj Jha, DMK’s T. Shiva were also present.
The TMC, SP, and BSP were not seen in the programme led by Rahul Gandhi. While Mamata is talking about the unity of the Opposition, the TMC is not taking part in all these activities organised by the Congress. The TMC did not attend a meeting of the Opposition on the Pegasus issue.
After assuming power in West Bengal for the third time, Mamata is not willing to give up the pedestal of the Opposition to Rahul Gandhi. The TMC leader is trying to unite all the Opposition parties under her leadership. Similarly, Rahul is also trying to form an Opposition alliance on similar lines.
