Congress Faces Lingering Impact of Mamata Banerjee's 1997 Expulsion

The Congress is still dealing with the fallout from Mamata Banerjee's 1997 expulsion, as explained by former state president Pradip Bhattacharya. The expulsion undermined the party's position in West Bengal, giving rise to Banerjee’s TMC. Recent comments by Bhattacharya have sparked political controversy amidst state Congress concerns.

The Congress party continues to reel from the effects of expelling Mamata Banerjee in 1997, according to former state president Pradip Bhattacharya. The decision, made by then-party chief Sitaram Kesri, has had long-standing consequences in West Bengal.

Bhattacharya, who led the state party from 2011 to 2014, remarks on the decision's ongoing impact, stating that the expulsion weakened Congress and strengthened Mamata Banerjee, who subsequently founded the TMC and shifted the political landscape by overthrowing the Left Front's rule in 2011.

The comments by Bhattacharya have led to internal disruptions within Congress, with some party members questioning the timing of his statements. TMC's Kunal Ghosh corroborated Bhattacharya's views, attributing the Congress's decline to alignments with the Left Front.

(With inputs from agencies.)