The relationship between the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) touched a new low on Friday with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s defeat in Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, wondering whether the Congress can erase the loss through tweets. The Twitter war between the two parties wanting to lead an Opposition front against the BJP started on Friday morning after poll strategist Prashant Kishor, in a message for the Congress, said that those looking for a quick revival of the grand old party-led coalition following the Lakhimpur Kheri incident are in for a big disappointment.
The Congress-Trinamool Congress slugfest started with who will lead the alliance. In a counter-tweet, the Trinamool Congress responded to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, taunting Baghel as well as Rahul Gandhi. According to the Trinamool Congress, “big words are being heard from a Chief Minister for the first time. It is not possible to get respect if you speak without understanding your own weight”. The TMC also made a mockery of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s defeat in the last Lok Sabha elections. “Did the Congress start a new Twitter trend in an attempt to erase the talk of a historic defeat in Amethi?”
The relationship between the TMC and Congress is becoming increasingly complicated. Prashant Kishor was recently seen tweeting questions to the Congress about the leadership of the Opposition alliance against BJP. Pointing to the organizational weakness of the Congress, PK tweeted, “Lakhimpur Kheri will not solve the crisis of the Grand Old Party (GOP).”
PK has not joined the Congress as Sonia Gandhi’s party had objections about Kishor. At a time when tensions are running high between the Congress and TMC, PK has targeted the Grand Old Party. PK tweeted, “Using the Lakhimpur Kheri incident as a tool for those seeking a quick and spontaneous revival of the Grand Old Party-led opposition alliance, they are actually preparing themselves for a massive frustration. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to the structural problems of the Grand Old Party.” The Congress responded to him by borrowing PK’s words. Baghel, who is busy retaining his position, retweeted, “Those who could not win their seats from our party will be disappointed by the national alternative builders. To become a national alternative, a deep united effort is needed. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.”
In a virtual meeting, TMC’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee gave the message that the TMC can remove BJP in Tripura. In the virtual meeting with the Tripura state Trinamool Congress steering committee and youth committee on Friday, Abhishek Banerjee said: “The CPM is not on the roads; not on the fields; not among the voters, nowhere! Congress is non-existent. There are four resignations every day. Voting for the Congress-CPM means wasting the vote.”
Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the TMC would form a government in Tripura with the support of the people. In his words, “If you have confidence, love and blessings in the Joraful sign, we will put Mamata Banerjee in front of Tripura and establish a people’s government by overthrowing the government.” The TMC may fight in the by-elections in Tripura before the Assembly polls. Abhishek Banerjee gave an hint to this effect. The campaign will run for 10 consecutive days from 21 October.
All leaders have been instructed to take to the streets to oppose the BJP. TMC workers have been told to go to the people, understand people’s minds. Abhishek Banerjee will go to Tripura in November, while CM Mamata Banerjee will go in December.