‘Seat-sharing talks first,’ TMC denies taking part in Congress’ Nyay Yatra

PTI, Jan 24, 2024, 8:50 AM IST

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said it is not participating in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam, a few hours after its state unit chief said TMC workers and leaders supported the east-west Congress rally.

A senior TMC leader said that seat-sharing talks need to be concluded first.

The yatra will be heading to West Bengal after Assam and is likely to reach Cooch Behar on January 25 via Dubri in Assam.

On Tuesday, some people carrying Trinamool Congress flags were seen participating in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, with Assam unit chief Ripun Bora confirming that the party members took part in the yatra in a post on X.

Bora later deleted his post that also carried pictures of TMC workers in the yatra.

A senior party leader later said the TMC did not officially participate in the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra, though some workers might have joined in their personal capacity.

The TMC leader stressed that the seat-sharing talks remain a priority, and needs to be addressed first.

Assam Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Ripun Bora had earlier in the day posted on X about the party’s participation in the yatra with pictures of TMC workers holding party flags welcoming Gandhi.

“Large number of @AITC4Assam leaders & workers welcomed Rahul Gandhi at Guwahati & joined the #BharatJodoNyayYatra,” Bora had said in the post that he later deleted.

Bora is a former state Congress chief and a former Rajya Sabha MP who had switched sides to join the TMC.

The ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ will enter West Bengal on Thursday.

Seat-sharing talks in West Bengal hit an impasse after the TMC offered two seats to the Congress, which the party said was too few.