Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has urged Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to work closely with the Congress and strengthen opposition unity against the BJP, two days after leaders of the INDIA
bloc met in Delhi and stressed the need for better coordination among alliance partners.
The message was conveyed during a meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Banerjee at the former’s 10 Janpath residence on Tuesday.
Sources indicated that Gandhi encouraged Banerjee to join hands with the Congress in the larger fight against the BJP, while making it clear that the emphasis was on political cooperation and coordination within the opposition alliance rather than any merger between the two parties.
On Monday, leaders of the INDIA bloc gathered in Delhi and discussed ways to strengthen the opposition front.
The discussion between Gandhi and Banerjee focused on the future strategy of the opposition alliance and ways to further reinforce cooperation among its constituents.
Sources cited by PTI said Banerjee also stressed the importance of opposition unity and asserted that the INDIA bloc partners should work together on issues affecting the public.
During Monday’s opposition meeting, Banerjee had urged alliance partners to put past differences behind them and stand united.
The meeting of opposition leaders focused on setting aside mutual bitterness, improving coordination with civil society movements and recognising the Congress as the anchor of the opposition alliance, provided it demonstrated a broad and accommodative approach towards allies.
The report further said Banerjee was emphatic that opposition leaders should avoid publicly criticising one another, a notable shift from her earlier attempts to carve out a political space independent of the Congress.
Following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee had questioned the Congress’s ability to lead the opposition bloc.
Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee separately met on Tuesday, marking their first closed-door meeting after the Trinamool Congress’s defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.
The meeting also took place against the backdrop of political turbulence within the Trinamool Congress.
According to ANI, Banerjee met Gandhi before proceeding to the residence of party MP and general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The Trinamool Congress later highlighted the meeting on social media, describing the relationship between the two leaders as one built over decades of public service.
The Trinamool Congress has faced dissension among legislators and parliamentarians following its electoral defeat, while the party has also been grappling with the fallout of an alleged signature forgery case that is being investigated by the West Bengal CID.
