Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dismissed claims of internal disputes within the INDIA bloc, affirming that TMC leader Mamata Banerjee remains "very much part of the INDIA alliance." Addressing Nitish Kumar's departure from the alliance, Gandhi stated that the INDIA bloc would continue to contest in Bihar.
Gandhi said, “Mamata (Banerjee) is very much part of the INDIA alliance and most of the other members who are part of the INDIA alliance are still members of the INDIA alliance. Nitish Kumar has left the alliance and he's gone to the BJP. You can guess as to what the reasons are for him leaving. That's fine. We'll fight in Bihar as the INDIA alliance. So I don't agree that lots of our partners are not part of the alliance..."
He further noted ongoing negotiations among member parties for seat-sharing arrangements, dismissing disagreements as "normal."
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress's communication regarding seat-sharing negotiations and criticized their coordination during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's entry into West Bengal. Subsequently, she announced that her party, TMC, would not ally with Congress in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls, accusing the Congress of aligning with the CPI (M) to aid the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee stated, “I have not spoken to anyone in the Congress (on seat-sharing), let the Congress fight 300 seats on its own. The regional parties are together and can contest the rest. However, we will not tolerate any interference by them (Congress)."
The INDIA bloc faced another setback as Nitish Kumar exited the Mahagathbandhan to join the BJP-led NDA, forming a new government in Bihar. Gandhi commented on Nitish's departure, saying, “You can guess what would have been the reasons for his leaving."