New Delhi: The already strained relationship between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) got another dimension on Sunday when the party announced that they are going to stay away from the opposition meeting convened by the Congress.
TMC informed that they are not going to attend the floor coordination meeting on Monday convened by Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha ahead of the Winter Session of the Parliament.
On the other hand, TMC spokesperson and parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien issued a statement on opposition unity and said in as many words that the Congress is neither their electoral ally nor are they running a government with them.
“Yes, there will be Opposition unity in Parliament. It is the common issues that will unite the opposition. I also must point out that there is a distinction between the RJD, DMK, RJD and the CPI(M)— they are all electoral allies of the Congress. The NCP-Shiv Sena and JMM run a government with Congress. The Congress is not our electoral ally nor are we running a government with them. That’s the difference,” said O’Brien in a statement.
Cracks between the Congress and the TMC further widened after-party ventured into states like Goa and Meghalaya where several leaders of the Congress quit the party to join the TMC.
In a major setback to the Congress, former Goa Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro quit the party and joined the Trinamool Congress a few months ago. Later, he was nominated as the Rajya Sabha MP from the TMC.
In another setback, as many as 12 of the total 17 Congress legislators under the leadership of former Meghalaya Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Mukul Sangma joined the TMC, becoming the principal opposition party in the state, replacing the Congress.
Party supremo Mamata Banerjee’s recent visit to Delhi did not see a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Asked whether she would meet Sonia Gandhi or not she had responded by saying, “Why should we meet Sonia Gandhi every time? It is constitutionally mandated.”
However, Congress has refrained from attacking the TMC or party supremo Mamata Banerjee directly.
