TMC can't wait for Cong indefinitely to bring together Oppn against BJP: Sukhendu

In a press briefing soon after new inductee Sushmita Dev, who switched over from the Congress, took oath as a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Ray said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had approached political parties to forge an alliance but received no response.

The Trinamool Congress cannot wait for the Congress indefinitely to bring opposition parties under one umbrella against the BJP, senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said on Tuesday. In a press briefing soon after new inductee Sushmita Dev, who switched over from the Congress, took oath as a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Ray said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had approached political parties to forge an alliance but received no response. ''In order to forge an alliance with all other parties a proposal was given by none other than the TMC chairperson. She met (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi and many other leaders,'' he said. ''We waited for six long months, but there was no response or initiative from any quarters. So we have moved on and we have decided to expand our base. Perhaps the Congress is too busy with its internal issues,'' Ray said. It will depend on the Congress and other parties if they want to come under one umbrella or go alone, he said. Dev, who was present at the press conference, alleged that there was no space for democratic political activity in Tripura and said that the party will meet President Ram Nath Kovind on the violence against its members in the state.

''There is absolutely no space for any democratic and political activity of the opposition in Tripura. The police may not be able to prevent a violent attack, but even after we provided them evidence, including videos and photographers, there has been no arrests in any of the incidents of violence against us,'' said Dev, who was seen wearing a cast on her finger from an injury caused when her car was attacked in Agartala. She also urged the BJP to contest election based on ballots rather than violence.

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