Chidambaram should resign if Congress fails to oust BJP in Goa: TMC

The TMC had approached Chidambaram with a formal offer for pre-poll alliance for the February 14 Goa polls: TMC

Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday said if Congress could not dislodge the BJP from power in the next month's Goa Assembly elections, Congress' state in-charge P Chidambaram should take the responsibility.

The TMC had approached Chidambaram with a formal offer for pre-poll alliance for the February 14 Goa polls, he told reporters here.

"When we arrived here, parties like Congress and AAP raised questions like (if) TMC was trying to divide anti-BJP votes, said Abhishek, who is TMC's general secretary. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had given a call for like-minded people to forge an alliance, he said. MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) came forward and formed alliance (with TMC) but rest of the parties were busy propagating that TMC is dividing votes, Abhishek said.

Chidambaram was "misleading people to serve his party's interest", the TMC leader alleged. Chidambaram said that TMC never made an offer (for alliance). TMC national vice president Pawan Varma made it clear that he went to Chidambaram's house on December 24 at 1.30 pm with the offer, Banerjee said. He says there was no concrete offer from TMC. Varma has said that he went to Chidambaram's house and requested him that we should come together keeping our egos aside for the sake of Goans, the TMC leader added.

"If he (Chidambaram) fails to defeat the BJP, he should be the first to resign....he should tell the world that he accepts responsibility," Banerjee further said. He also said that Congress, which is asking people to give it a chance to rule the state, had emerged as the single largest party in 2017, but could not keep its flock together and 80 per cent of its MLAs defected. The BJP formed government in Goa in 2017 by cobbling together a coalition.