<p>New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A bloc on Wednesday stared at trouble with Mamata Banerjee announcing that Trinamool Congress will not align with the Congress in West Bengal and Bhagwant Mann making it clear that AAP too will go alone in Punjab.</p><p>Mamata’s remarks came a day before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entering West Bengal and a day after the Congress leader insisted that he has a good relationship with the fiery Chief Minister, who also complained about the delay in seat sharing exercise.</p><p>“I had no discussions with Congress. We had given a proposal which was rejected. Then our party has decided that we will fight alone in West Bengal,” she told reporters in Kolkata. She also claimed that the Congress did not extend the courtesy of not talking to her about the yatra while the latter insists that an invite has been sent to her on January 13 itself.</p>.'In Bengal, we will fight alone,' Mamata says Congress rejected seat-sharing deal; walks away.<p>In a similar vein, Punjab Chief Minister Mann said that AAP “will not do anything like that (alliance with Congress) in Punjab” and that the scorecard in the Lok Sabha election would be AAP 13-0. </p>.<p>However, AAP is likely to enter into an alliance with Congress in Delhi though the latter may not accommodate it in Haryana and Goa where it had claimed seats.</p><p>However, Congress made it clear that they “cannot imagine I.N.D.I.A without Mamata-ji” and the Opposition bloc will fight the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. </p>.No one can imagine I.N.D.I.A alliance without Mamata Banerjee: Congress.<p>At the same time, Congress leader Deepa Dasmunsi said in Hyderabad that Mamata is “indirectly helping the BJP” while Bengal Congress chief and Mamata-critic Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lobbed the ball into central leadership’s court. Top Congress leaders are likely to reach out to Mamata soon.</p><p>Mamata’s announcement came, Trinamool sources said, as the party was exasperated at the delay in seat sharing exercise, “unreasonable” demands raised by the party and “continuous unsavoury remarks” by Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against the Chief Minister.</p><p>Congress, however, sought to play Mamata’s remarks down by emphasising on her statement that she will fight to defeat the BJP. </p><p>“Mamata Banerjee said that we want to defeat BJP and we will do anything to defeat the BJP...Rahul Gandhi clearly said that Mamata ji and TMC are a very strong pillar of the INDIA alliance. We cannot imagine the INDIA alliance without Mamata ji...INDIA alliance will fight like an alliance in West Bengal,” Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in Assam’s Bongaigaon.</p><p><br>The Trinamool chief was also building the atmosphere for the announcement by attacking the CPI(M), another I.N.D.I.A ally which has declared its opposition to Bengal's ruling party, and making it clear her anger over the Left party’s perceived authority on deciding the course of the alliance in the recent days.</p><p>Trinamool had offered two seats for Congress in Bengal while the latter was initially demanding nine, which was later watered down to six. Sources said Trinamool could think of increasing the number of seats only if the Congress reciprocates in Meghalaya and Assam.</p><p>Trinamool sources said the Congress has failed to acknowledge the reality in Bengal.</p><p>AAP’s stand on Punjab has not come as a surprise to Congress as the state units of both the parties had been opposed to any alliance in the state. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal himself had indicated this possibility with the Congress leadership when he met Kharge and Rahul.<br><br>Congress’ National Alliance Committee had also refused to enter into any talks on Punjab during negotiations with AAP saying their mandate was only to discuss seat sharing in Delhi. Besides the state units’ stand, the coalition managers also believe that fighting together in Punjab could open up space for the BJP in the state.</p>
<p>New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A bloc on Wednesday stared at trouble with Mamata Banerjee announcing that Trinamool Congress will not align with the Congress in West Bengal and Bhagwant Mann making it clear that AAP too will go alone in Punjab.</p><p>Mamata’s remarks came a day before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entering West Bengal and a day after the Congress leader insisted that he has a good relationship with the fiery Chief Minister, who also complained about the delay in seat sharing exercise.</p><p>“I had no discussions with Congress. We had given a proposal which was rejected. Then our party has decided that we will fight alone in West Bengal,” she told reporters in Kolkata. She also claimed that the Congress did not extend the courtesy of not talking to her about the yatra while the latter insists that an invite has been sent to her on January 13 itself.</p>.'In Bengal, we will fight alone,' Mamata says Congress rejected seat-sharing deal; walks away.<p>In a similar vein, Punjab Chief Minister Mann said that AAP “will not do anything like that (alliance with Congress) in Punjab” and that the scorecard in the Lok Sabha election would be AAP 13-0. </p>.<p>However, AAP is likely to enter into an alliance with Congress in Delhi though the latter may not accommodate it in Haryana and Goa where it had claimed seats.</p><p>However, Congress made it clear that they “cannot imagine I.N.D.I.A without Mamata-ji” and the Opposition bloc will fight the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. </p>.No one can imagine I.N.D.I.A alliance without Mamata Banerjee: Congress.<p>At the same time, Congress leader Deepa Dasmunsi said in Hyderabad that Mamata is “indirectly helping the BJP” while Bengal Congress chief and Mamata-critic Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lobbed the ball into central leadership’s court. Top Congress leaders are likely to reach out to Mamata soon.</p><p>Mamata’s announcement came, Trinamool sources said, as the party was exasperated at the delay in seat sharing exercise, “unreasonable” demands raised by the party and “continuous unsavoury remarks” by Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against the Chief Minister.</p><p>Congress, however, sought to play Mamata’s remarks down by emphasising on her statement that she will fight to defeat the BJP. </p><p>“Mamata Banerjee said that we want to defeat BJP and we will do anything to defeat the BJP...Rahul Gandhi clearly said that Mamata ji and TMC are a very strong pillar of the INDIA alliance. We cannot imagine the INDIA alliance without Mamata ji...INDIA alliance will fight like an alliance in West Bengal,” Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in Assam’s Bongaigaon.</p><p><br>The Trinamool chief was also building the atmosphere for the announcement by attacking the CPI(M), another I.N.D.I.A ally which has declared its opposition to Bengal's ruling party, and making it clear her anger over the Left party’s perceived authority on deciding the course of the alliance in the recent days.</p><p>Trinamool had offered two seats for Congress in Bengal while the latter was initially demanding nine, which was later watered down to six. Sources said Trinamool could think of increasing the number of seats only if the Congress reciprocates in Meghalaya and Assam.</p><p>Trinamool sources said the Congress has failed to acknowledge the reality in Bengal.</p><p>AAP’s stand on Punjab has not come as a surprise to Congress as the state units of both the parties had been opposed to any alliance in the state. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal himself had indicated this possibility with the Congress leadership when he met Kharge and Rahul.<br><br>Congress’ National Alliance Committee had also refused to enter into any talks on Punjab during negotiations with AAP saying their mandate was only to discuss seat sharing in Delhi. Besides the state units’ stand, the coalition managers also believe that fighting together in Punjab could open up space for the BJP in the state.</p>
