Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Credit: PTI File Photo
The Congress is now hoping for a positive turn in its relations with the Trinamool Congress after party president Mallikarjun Kharge managed to open a direct communication line with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Sources revealed that Kharge has already spoken to the Trinamool chief, who earlier this week announced that her party would contest solo in the Lok Sabha elections from West Bengal. Kharge also wrote to her regarding Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
In what is seen as a negation of its state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s diatribe against the ally, Kharge, in his letter on Friday, expressed concern that “miscreants” might create trouble for the yatra in Bengal. He added that he was “not sure if the intention is to show the state administration in a bad light or to disrupt the yatra.”
Congress leaders did not support Chowdhury’s remarks about the government creating roadblocks for the yatra. General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh referred to High Court orders and other issues for the delay in permission for public meetings in Siliguri, rather than pointing fingers at the ally.
Ramesh stated in a press conference that top leaders Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi have “immense respect” for Mamata, and they acknowledge that, to defeat the BJP and communal ideology, Trinamool is an important cog in the wheel. He also expressed the Congress's desire for Mamata to join Rahul's yatra in Bengal.
In a signal to the Trinamool, the party had Adhir apologise to their Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien for calling him a “foreigner.”
Kharge also recalled Mamata’s “cordial relationship” with the Gandhi family in his letter, expressing confidence that she would make all efforts to address security concerns during the yatra. He mentioned in his letter, "However, I thought it would be best if I personally write to you requesting the same."
In Karnataka’s Kalaburagi, Kharge said that he has spoken to Mamata, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and told them that they have to stay united and “only then we can give a good fight, and I.N.D.I.A can be successful in fulfilling the intentions with which it was formed”.
Sources reveal that Kharge's telephonic conversation with Mamata was an "ice breaker," and they anticipate a positive outcome from it. Importantly, the fact that Kharge personally spoke to Mamata instead of relying on backroom negotiators is seen as a positive sign, indicating a potentially fruitful outcome.
"It took some time and hard work, but we are positive," stated a senior leader.