'Front, alliance whatever you call': Akhilesh meets Mamata; ‘Cong not big boss’ | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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'Front, alliance whatever you call': Akhilesh meets Mamata; ‘Cong not big boss’

Mar 17, 2023 08:14 PM IST

The Trinamool Congress has not issued any statement on agreeing to ally with the Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha election. In fact, Trinamool MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said TMC will go alone, but Congress is not the big boss.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata and set the ball rolling as far as an opposition alliance is concerned ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Chief ministers of many states are trying for a coalition that will work together, Akhilesh said naming Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Tamil Nadu's MK Stalin, Bihar's Nitish Kumar and Mamata from West Bengal. "The Congress should decide its role regarding elections, The name will be discussed later for the coalition," Akhilesh Yadav said hinting that this is going to be a third front minus the Congress.

Akhilesh Yadav met Mamata Banerjee on Friday in Kolkata.
Akhilesh Yadav met Mamata Banerjee on Friday in Kolkata.

Trinamool MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, however, said the Trinamool Congress will go its own way and not thinking of a third front at the moment. He clarified that the TMC will not go with the Congress as he said that the Congress should not believe that it was the 'big boss' of the opposition.

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"We will go our own way, maintain distance from the Congress and the BJP. We are not talking about forming any third front at the moment... The Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the opposition front," Sudip Bandyopadhyay said adding that Mamata Banerjee will be meeting other regional party leaders in the coming days.

Senior SP leader Kiranmoy Nanda confirmed that the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress have agreed to work unitedly to fight the BJP.

Both the parties would also maintain distance from the Congress," Nanda told PTI.

"Regional parties are competent enough to decide their roles. The Congress has to decide its role. Nobody should take any step which might have any adverse impact (on fighting the BJP)," Akhilesh Yadav said expressing hope that some form of coalition is expected to come up ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “Front. alliance, gathbandhan whatever you call it,” Akhilesh said.

Addressing a workers' meeting in Kolkata, Akhilesh Yadav congratulated the people of West Bengal for defeating the BJP. "I congratulate the people of Kolkata for defeating BJP and voting for Didi. Samajwadi Party will do everything for saving the constitution. BJP is accusing Congress of defaming the nation but UP CM also disrespected the constitution, BJP must listen to that," Yadav said.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

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