The Congress’s plan to put up a united fight along with other Opposition parties against the BJP in 2024 seems to be dwindling as both Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav have said that they would keep away from the Grand Old Party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This came after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav met the West Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata on Friday. "The Trinamool Congress will go its own way, maintaining distance from both the Congress and BJP," senior Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said after a meeting of the party leaders. Hon'ble President of @samajwadiparty Shri @yadavakhilesh called on our Hon'ble Chairperson Smt @MamataOfficial today, in Kolkata. Special moments from the meeting 👇 pic.twitter.com/UESY4wv1KC — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 17, 2023 He, however, added that the party was not “talking of a third front at the moment”, while warning that the Congress should not believe it was the “big boss” of the opposition. Following the meeting at TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's residence, Bandopadhyay said that in the coming days, the party would hold deliberations with “powerful regional parties” to formulate a strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “We will go our own way, maintain distance from the Congress and the BJP. We are not talking about forming any third front at the moment. The Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the opposition front,” he told reporters. “Mamata Banerjee will meet powerful regional parties to fight the BJP," Bandopadhyay added. आज कोलकाता में एक मुलाक़ात… सबकी आदरणीय दीदी के साथ! @MamataOfficial pic.twitter.com/DH48zO7Njd — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 17, 2023 Akhilesh Yadav, too, had similar comments. He said that his party would maintain equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP and that it would stand firmly with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. “In Bengal, we are with Mamata didi. Right now, our stand is that we want to maintain equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress,” he said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of his party's workers’ meet. “The Samajwadi Party is ready to make any sacrifice to protect our Constitution. If we can defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP can be defeated across the country,” he added.
