West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday issued an invitation but with conditions to the Congress to join the recently launched Federal Front. The party could join the Front if it accepted her formula of “one-is-to-one”, Ms. Banerjee said.
Speaking on a live video chat on social media on Tuesday, Ms. Banerjee indicated that she was not too keen at this stage to accept Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, arguing that her future actions would be guided by the decision of the people.
Targeting Opposition parties, Ms Banerjee said the violence during the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls (which concluded on Monday) was masterminded by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India-Marxist .
Seat-sharing formula
Speaking extensively about the future of the Federal Front, Ms Banerjee said, instead of the TMC joining a Congress-led front in the run up to the 2019 election, the Congress “should” join her Federal Front as there was a precedence of such a front in the past.
“Congress can be part of the Federal Front but they will have to accept the one-is-to-one formula [of putting up one candidate of united Opposition against the BJP]. They [Congress] cannot contest in every seat,” said Ms. Banerjee.
“Federal Front will work with a Common Minimum Agenda. Even in the past [also] Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister [under] similar arrangement. Whichever party wishes can support later,” she noted.
‘Need to coordinate’
“We have to remember that in today’s context, Congress cannot do anything alone...on its own…and there many parties like ours, like Mayawati’s, Like Sharad Pawar’s…Congress will have to coordinate,” she said.
On the question of accepting Rahul Gandhi’s leadership she gave a nuanced answer.
“How can [I] say anything about such demands? I am not a big leader but my point is clear — people will decide their leader. I will be guided by the people,” said Ms Banerjee.
Explaining why she opposed the Congress’ move to impeach the Chief Justice of Supreme Court, she said, “I said it is wrong to push it. They do not have majority and thus the move will collapse. It is not reasonable to go against the judiciary in such a manner. Court is pronouncing so many things against us, but have I ever criticised them?”
