TMC Unlikely to Participate in Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in West Bengal

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is unlikely to join the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi as it enters West Bengal on January 25, according to a senior party leader on Wednesday.

The yatra, currently in Assam, is set to enter West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district on January 25. Following a two-day break on January 26-27, it will pass through Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur, and Darjeeling before reaching Bihar on January 29.

"We haven't received a formal invitation from the Congress. Even if we receive it, we are most unlikely to join it," the senior TMC leader told PTI. This decision comes amidst growing tensions between the TMC and Congress, the INDIA bloc alliance partners, over seat-sharing in West Bengal.

TMC leaders, including Banerjee, have asserted that their party is the primary force taking on the BJP in West Bengal. On Tuesday, Banerjee, during an internal party meeting, criticized the Congress for delays in seat-sharing discussions within the INDIA bloc, citing unjustified demands for 10-12 seats when the TMC is willing to share only two.

Senior state Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya mentioned that the party has sent invitations to all INDIA bloc partners, stating, "Now it is up to TMC to decide whether they will join the yatra or not.