NEW DELHI: A day after the INDIA Alliance announced a joint agitation to demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise, Trinamool Congress Chairperson and former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that for the Opposition this was a “collective” fight and shared that she had promptly responded to CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby last week when he reached out to her over the working of the Election Commission as it was a “national issue”.Reports of the interaction between Baby and Banerjee had attracted much attention last week as it saw two parties with decades-long differences in Bengal coming together on the question of the Election Commission (EC).Banerjee shared details of the interaction and the sentiment behind both sides putting aside their differences and coming together, while responding to questions at a press conference in Delhi. Party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and senior party leaders Derek O’ Brien, Dola Sen, Mahua Moitra, Menaka Guruswamy and Saket Gokhale were among those present with Mamata Banerjee at the press conference.“Our position is that when Constitutional institutions and democratic rights are at stake, political parties should examine the issue beyond their individual colours and interests,” Banerjee asserted.When asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the question of leadership of the opposition alliance and her view on who can be the Bloc’s PM candidate, the TMC Chairperson said, “INDIA Alliance is United and together. It is not about individual decisions. We are like a family, and we will decide collectively on these issues.”“Regional political parties have their own circumstances and compulsions, and we understand that. We maintain good relations with leaders such as Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), Nitish Kumar (JDU) and MK Stalin (DMK), while local political decisions may differ from state to state. Sometimes, INDIA’s alliance partners may not attend a particular programme because of local political considerations, but that does not necessarily mean there is disagreement on broader national issues,” she added.“We are with the INDIA alliance, and whatever decisions the alliance takes, we will respect them like a family and work together with unity. Our priority is to stand together and move forward collectively,” Banerjee said.“2029 is still far away; first, look at what is happening in 2027. “Khela toh ab hoga” — the real political game begins now. You never know what may happen in the next two, three, or six months. Politics can change very quickly, and we will continue to watch the situation, remain united and make decisions together as an alliance,” she emphasised.
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“It is important for Gyanesh Kumar to go…change is critical at this stage to make way for a free and fair electoral system,” Banerjee said in response to a question about whether the resignation of CEC would help resolve the systemic problems.TMC national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee lashed out, saying, “When questions are directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar or the Election Commission, I believe the answers should come from the Election Commission itself. Instead, we repeatedly see BJP leaders responding to those questions. My point is simple: constitutional authorities must answer legitimate questions themselves and place facts before the public rather than allowing political parties to speak on their behalf.” He called for a thorough investigation to bring out the truth.
