INDIA hits a wall in Bengal: Mamata says ‘no talks on with Congress… any alliance after polls’

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee declared Wednesday that no talks were on with the Congress, and that her party would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls alone in the state, with the issue of national alliance to be decided only after the elections.

“Amar kono kotha hoyni, amar karoro songe kotha hoyni. Kono charcha nei. Mithe kotha (I have had no talks, no talks with anyone… no talks at all. It’s all lies). Absolutely wrong,” Mamata said in Howrah, on her way to Purba Medinipur for an administrative meeting, while adding that the non-Congress regional parties were holding together.

Pointing out that the Congress had declined her offer of 2 seats in the state, the TMC chief said: “My initial proposal has already been rejected by them. Then our party took a decision that we will fight alone in Bengal. We are a part of the INDIA alliance. They are doing a rally (Bharat Joro Nyay Yatra) here… Even as a matter of courtesy, did they even once inform us, say, ‘Didi, I am coming to your state’. I have no relations with the Congress as regards Bengal.”

“All India y ki korbo, na korbo after election bhabbo (Nationally, what we will do, not do, we will think after the elections). We are a secular party, we will do what is needed to thwart the BJP. But right now there are no discussions (on seat-sharing),” Mamata said.

The INDIA alliance did not involve just one party, she said. “Regional parties will stay together as one. We have said that the Congress can fight 300 seats and the regional parties will fight in 72. The Congress should not interfere there. But if it does, we will see what is to be done.”

Mamata’s statement came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, speaking to mediapersons in