Reacting to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) decision to abstain from voting in Vice-Presidential polls, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of having a pact with BJP and is trying to avoid any kind of enmity with the ruling party.
Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury alleged, "West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is a Vice Presidential candidate, he often used to have a spat with the Chief Minister. A few days ago, Governor called Mamata Banerjee in Darjeeling and they had a meeting along with Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma at the Darjeeling Governor's House. The next day he was announced as Vice Presidential candidate, which means there was a Darjeeling pact among them."
He further alleged that Mamata Banerjee, Hemanta Biswa Sarma and the Governor had an agreement that if she help them then it will be good for them and that is why Yashwant Sinha, who was Mamata's candidate and did not get any help.
"Mamata Banerjee did not participate in the all-party meeting. The entire Opposition parties want to raise their voice against Sonia Gandhi. When all the party was signing the joint statement, even at that time the TMC party of Bengal was absent and did not sign. This means that she does not want enmity with BJP and I am saying this from my own experience," said Chowdhury.
On the allegation of TMC that the Opposition without consulting the party decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate, the Congress leader said, "Margaret Alva name was declared after consulting Mamata Banerjee. Yet today Mamata wants to abstain from voting. It means instead of voting for Margaret Alva, she wants that Dhankhar wins the poll with the maximum number of votes. That's why I am saying that this is a Darjeeling pact."
Earlier on Thursday, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll.
"TMC will abstain in the upcoming VP polls as it was decided in the meeting. TMC will not support NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar for the Vice President election nor will it support Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the election," said Abhishek Banerjee.
"We know how Jagdeep Dhankhar was when he was the West Bengal Governor. He attacked the people of Bengal and the Chief Minister in different ways. Hence we will not go with the NDA candidate at any cost," he said.
According to the TMC MP, the Opposition without consulting the TMC decided to go with Margaret Alva as the Vice Presidential candidate.
Dhankhar will face Opposition candidate veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Margaret Alva in the August 6 Vice Presidential election.
( With inputs from ANI )
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