Trinamool Congress blames Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for INDIA bloc discord

TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Thursday said Chowdhury speaks the language of the BJP

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will contest the general elections alone, her party is now blaming Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the discord. 

TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Thursday said Chowdhury speaks the language of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and regularly hosts press briefings to "belittle" Mamata Banerjee.

"Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury," O'Brien said, adding that the Opposition's INDIA bloc has many detractors but the BJP and Chowdhury were the biggest among them.

He further said that Chowdhury is working against the alliance at the behest of the BJP.

"The voice is his, but the words are being dictated to him by the duo in Delhi. In the past two years, Adhir Chowdhury has spoken the language of the BJP. Not once has he raised the issue of Bengal being deprived of central funds," O'Brien said.

He also alleged that Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had endorsed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) actions against the party in West Bengal.

"He holds special press conferences to belittle Mamata Banerjee and barely speaks against BJP leaders," he added.

The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, hinted it would support the Congress if it defeated the BJP in the general elections.

"After the general elections, if the Congress does its job and defeats the BJP on a substantial number of seats, the Trinamool Congress will very much be a part of the front that believes and fights for the Constitution and plurality," he added.