West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had previously put her membership of the INDIA bloc on hold due to a disagreement with the Congress over seat-sharing, seems to have softened her stance. On Wednesday, she expressed willingness to “provide outside support” to the Opposition alliance if it comes to power after the general election.
“We will provide leadership to the INDIA alliance, and help them in every way from outside. We will form a government so that in Bengal, our mothers and sisters never face a problem and those who work in the 100-days-job scheme do not face problems,” she said.
However, Mamata Banerjee clarified her position on the composition of the INDIA bloc, excluding the CPI(M) and the Bengal Congress led by senior Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury. “You must know this: the INDIA Alliance—don’t count the Bengal Congress and CPI(M), those two are not with us. Those two are with the BJP. I am talking about Delhi,” she said.
This partial reconciliation comes as the election has completed 70 percent of its seats. Three rounds of voting remain, with West Bengal included in each phase.
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The BJP, having reached its saturation point in the Hindi heartland, is aiming to make up for any shortfall by focusing on seats in the south and West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have been frequent visitors to Bengal, emphasising its 42 Lok Sabha seats as a crucial battleground.
As the election continues in the peak of summer, Banerjee’s support for the INDIA alliance, even from the outside, marks a significant development in the political landscape.
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