As Mamata Banerjee Backs Congress, BJP Finds "Statement Of No-Confidence"

The BJP on Tuesday said Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has drawn "a no-go zone" for the Congress in West Bengal and other states by saying she will support the grand old party wherever it is strong provided it reciprocates.

BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala said Ms Banerjee's statement on Monday would set a template that the Congress should not enter into states like West Bengal, Telangana or Uttar Pradesh where it is perceived to be weak.

He also said there is "no mission and vision" in the efforts being made to forge opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said on Monday that in the seat-sharing formula for the 2024 polls, strong regional parties must be given priority where they are strong.

Mr Poonawalla noted Ms Banerjee has said she is ready to support the Congress wherever it is strong, provided it reciprocates in West Bengal and does not interfere in the state.

"It is not Mamata Banerjee's statement of support but a statement of no-confidence (in the Congress)," BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala told PTI when asked for a comment.

"It is an assault and attack on what the Congress had started dreaming about which is its expansion across the national spectrum in 2024... a break has been put by Mamata Banerjee," he added.

"She is drawing a no-go zone for the Congress party and setting a template that the Congress should enter into a no-go zone agreement with these parties and should not enter, say in Bengal, Telangana or in Uttar Pradesh where the Congress is not strong," he said.

"The template being set by the TMC is actually a vote of no-confidence," he said, adding, "A sharp retort and message is being sent to the Congress that there are certain no-go zones clearly defined, notwithstanding the results that have come out in Karnataka."

The BJP spokesperson said the hopes of those who are very enthusiastic in drawing "a national template" from the Karnataka assembly poll results have been "dashed and crashed by their own ideological cousin like the TMC".

On opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said, "It is only a mission for position division, commission, corruption. It is only an alliance of negativity, directed at stopping the BJP.

"It has an obsession with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For them, it is important who will get more share in the pie. This usually happens when there is not any mission or vision for the country in such kinds of of prospective alliances," Mr Poonawalla told PTI.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)