Stressing that this election is to decide the future of the nation, West Bengal Congress chief Chowdhury said, 'It is necessary for Congress and the Left to win. If they don't, secularism will be at stake. Voting for TMC means voting for BJP, so it's better to vote for BJP only. Don't vote for BJP, don't vote for TMC.'
Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's scathing anti-TMC remark sparked a fresh row. Addressing an election event in West Bengal on Tuesday, Adhir said that it was "better" to vote for the BJP than vote for the Trinamool Congress.
Stressing that this election is to decide the future of the nation, Chowdhury said, “It is necessary for Congress and the Left to win. If they don't, secularism will be at stake. Voting for TMC means voting for BJP, so it's better to vote for BJP only. Don't vote for BJP, don't vote for TMC,” Chowdhury said during a speech in Bengali.
While answering questions on Adhir Ranjan's remark, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "I haven't seen the video and don't know in which context he has said this but I want to make it clear that Congress party has just one aim that is to heavily decrease the number of seats of the BJP that it has got in 2019."
Ramesh also said that Left parties and Congress are in the INDIA alliance and the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also said that the TMC is part of the alliance.
Responding to Chowdhury's remarks, Trinamool Congress accused him of being the voice of the BJP in Bengal and called him the B-Team of BJP.
"After acting as the eyes and ears of BJP in Bengal, Adhir Chowdhury has now been promoted to be the voice of the BJP in Bengal. Listen to how the B-Team member is openly asking people to vote for the BJP – a party that REFUSED to release Bengal's rightful due and deprived our people of their rights (sic),” Trinamool Congress wrote on X.
“Only a Bangla-Birodhi can campaign for the BJP, which has repeatedly insulted Bengal's icons. On May 13, the people of Baharampur will give a befitting response to this betrayal!,” the party added.
Sharing the video clip of Adhir Ranjan making the remark, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that the Congress leader "knows" that any vote given to the TMC will "harm" West Bengal. However, reacting to Adhir Ranjan's remark, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said he hadn't watched the video yet.
Taking a swipe at Chowdhury, BjP's IT-cell chief Amit Malviya said, "Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury knows exactly how bad the situation in West Bengal, under Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, is. He wishes well for his home state."