Banerjee emphasized TMC’s secular credentials and expressed her unwillingness to concede more than two Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Bengal.This statement comes in stark contrast to the Congress’s request for eight to fourteen seats, which Banerjee deemed “impractical demands.”
Earlier, the chief minister had raised concerns about the Congress potentially transferring some of these seats to the CPM and BJP, a move she strongly opposes. “This cannot go on. If necessary, we will fight alone in Bengal. Prepare to fight alone,” Banerjee firmly told her party’s Birbhum leaders on Tuesday.
The announcement marks a significant shift from earlier discussions, where the possibility of a coalition seemed more feasible.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier hinted that seat-sharing negotiations with TMC were still a possibility. However, Banerjee’s latest remarks seem to close the door on such collaborations.