New Delhi, Jan 1 Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has ignited a political controversy after stating that the Opposition needs to fight on the ground rather than confining its efforts to media or social media platforms, citing electoral defeats in Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra and Bihar.
Following his remarks, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on Opposition parties, many of whom had earlier projected unity under an alliance during the Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP claimed that political parties are now seeking to distance themselves from the Congress, asserting that the grand old party has turned into a “liability” for its allies.
The controversy comes as Banerjee intensified his allegations of “vote theft” against the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday.
“The country should unite; every party must address vote theft. This is why Opposition parties lost in Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Bihar: people wanted to vote for them,” Banerjee said.
He further underlined the need for a different approach by the Opposition, stating, “The Opposition’s fight is required not on media or social media, but on the ground. People are watching. If you put up a fight, the BJP won’t win, because it will be the people who decide.”
Seizing on Banerjee’s remarks, the BJP mounted a strong offensive against the Opposition, claiming there is no clarity or cohesion within the INDIA bloc.
Speaking to IANS, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “The year may have changed, but the issues and confusion within the INDIA bloc remain the same. There is no clear mission or vision, only confusion and division. Abhishek Banerjee has now started directly attacking Congress, raising questions against the party itself.”
Poonawalla further added, “This is not just from Trinamool; in Kerala, the Left is also questioning the Congress, and the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has also held Congress responsible for its defeat. Congress is a political liability, and hence its allies are trying to break off the alliance with it.”
BJP National Spokesperson R.P. Singh also told IANS that the Opposition alliance lacked substance.
“There is no doubt that there is no real alliance under the name of the ‘INDIA bloc.’ It was only for the Lok Sabha elections. Now, everyone wants to distance themselves from Congress -- from Omar Abdullah to Stalin and Abhishek Banerjee -- everyone,” he said.
BJP National Spokesperson Rohan Gupta also took the opportunity to criticise the INDIA bloc and its “failed attempts to save their politics.”
“They always come together for their own benefit, but when they get defeated, the alliance breaks, be it Congress-AAP and now Congress-Trinamool. The reality is that whether it’s Trinamool or Congress, they have lost public trust and are now making failed attempts to save their politics,” he told IANS.
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