West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that her party, the Trinamool Congress, will provide “outside support” to the opposition INDIA bloc if it comes to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee’s statement comes amidst speculation about her potential role as the prime ministerial candidate if the opposition alliance secures victory.
Banerjee’s declaration, reported by ABP, follows the Trinamool Congress’s decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections independently in West Bengal, following disagreements over seat-sharing with the INDIA bloc.
“The BJP will face defeat in the first four phases of the polls. There is no chance of its victory in the remaining three phases. Despite their noise, they will not succeed. I am referring to Delhi. We will extend our support to the INDIA alliance and assist them from the outside,” Banerjee stated.
Despite being a key player in the formation of the INDIA bloc and endorsing Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial candidate, Banerjee stepped back due to disagreements over seat allocations with the Congress in Bengal. Consequently, the Congress opted to form an alliance with another INDIA bloc member, the CPM, challenging the Trinamool Congress directly in several constituencies in the state.
