Trinamool Congress Ends Alliance with Congress Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections in West Bengal

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has decided to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal independently, putting an end to their alliance with the Congress. This announcement followed a period of tension between the two parties, with Banerjee accusing the Congress of rejecting her seat-sharing proposals. The discord had been brewing for the past two months, exacerbated by state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's criticism of Banerjee.

The main reason behind this split was the Congress's lack of clarity on its alliance with the Trinamool. While Banerjee shared a good rapport with Sonia Gandhi, the state Congress unit, led by Adhir Chowdhury and Abdul Mannan, was critical of her. They blamed the Trinamool for their party's decline in the state.

The first signs of trouble emerged when the Trinamool Congress offered Congress only two out of the 42 seats in Bengal, leading to disagreements over seat-sharing. Banerjee wanted the formula to be based on the parties' performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 West Bengal polls.

Despite Rahul Gandhi's attempts to ease tensions, Banerjee decided to end the alliance. It appears that the damage is now irreparable, with the Trinamool Congress unlikely to join Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' when it enters West Bengal on January 25.