Kolkata, Feb 11: Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has declared that the Trinamool Congress aims to secure a two-thirds majority in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections and has dismissed the idea of forming any alliance with the Congress, as reported by the TMC’s official publication.
According to a report by ‘Jago Bangla,’ Banerjee made these comments during a meeting with the TMC legislative party on Monday.
During the meeting, she assured her legislators, “Trinamool will return to power with a two-thirds majority in 2026. We don’t require assistance from anyone. We will contest independently and prevail independently.” The report also mentioned that Banerjee exuded confidence about the TMC clinching a fourth consecutive term and emphasized the need to commence preparations for the state elections.
Banerjee’s statements triggered a strong response from the West Bengal Congress unit, which remarked that her “unnecessary comments” stemmed from anxiety among several parties that have come to realize the folly of sidelining Congress following the Delhi elections.
The Delhi assembly elections revealed that vote splitting between AAP and Congress benefited the BJP in multiple constituencies.
In light of the recent bypoll results in Delhi, where AAP faced considerable losses, the BJP has drawn parallels to West Bengal, claiming that Banerjee’s welfare initiatives may not yield electoral success.
Referencing AAP’s loss, BJP leaders, including Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari and state party head Sukanta Majumdar, have suggested that the voters in Bengal, similar to those in Delhi, will reject the ruling party’s “freebies.” Amid these discussions, ‘Jago Bangla’ quoted Banerjee asserting, “The opposition’s assertions will not deter us. Our initiatives have brought benefits to the people, and they will support us again.” The TMC’s decision to operate independently is significant amid speculations about Congress’s next steps in West Bengal.
Following Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s removal as state Congress president and the rise of Subhankar Sarkar, who is regarded as more amenable to TMC, discussions about a potential Congress-TMC alliance were prevalent in political circles.
Nonetheless, ‘Jago Bangla’ reported Banerjee affirming, “There is no question of an alliance. Trinamool will contest independently and achieve a historic victory. The Congress lacks relevance in Bengal. We have no need for an alliance with Congress in Bengal.” Reflecting on AAP’s defeat in the Delhi elections, Banerjee attributed their poor performance to the lack of collaboration between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. She argued that the absence of a united front allowed the BJP to benefit.
During the meeting, Banerjee highlighted the failure of both AAP and Congress to coordinate in the national capital, drawing a parallel to the situation in Haryana during last year’s state elections.
“Just as Congress remained obstinate in Delhi, AAP didn’t collaborate with Congress in Haryana. Their disunity has resulted in significant losses,” stated the party mouthpiece, quoting Banerjee.
In response to Banerjee’s statements, West Bengal Congress president Suvankar Sarkar questioned why regional parties are concerned about Congress if it has diminished significance. “In reality, after the Delhi election outcomes, many regional parties have realized that disregarding Congress was a mistake. The dilemma with parties like AAP is that they function as the B-team of the BJP. TMC seems to have forgotten that it was Congress who assisted TMC in coming to power in 2011 by defeating the Left Front,” he remarked.
While TMC, Congress, and CPI(M) are part of the opposition INDIA alliance on a national scale, Congress and the Left have collaborated in the 2021 assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, opposing both the TMC and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal.
The West Bengal BJP, however, did not attribute much significance to Banerjee’s remarks or the responses from the historic party.
“Whether TMC operates independently or in conjunction with Congress, the outcome will remain unchanged. The TMC is destined for defeat at the hands of BJP. The state’s populace seeks to rid themselves of TMC’s corruption and nepotism,” asserted BJP leader Rahul Sinha.
The West Bengal Assembly elections are anticipated to take place in April-May of the following year. (PTI)
