Any tie-up with BJP will only bring loss to Mamata Banerjee: Congress

NEW DELHI: Making it clear that it will go it alone in West Bengal, Congress today cautioned its estranged ally Mamata Banerjee that the "loss will only be hers", as in the past, if she joins hands with the BJP.

Responding to questions whether Banerjee was inching closer to the BJP, AICC in-charge for West Bengal Shakeel Ahmed tersely said, "If she will join hands with the BJP again, the loss will only be hers."

He recalled that Banerjee had got only one seat in 2004 Lok Sabha elections which she contested in alliance with the BJP, but "when she allied with Congress in 2009, her seat tally shot up to 19 from one."

Asked whether he feels that Trinamool's tally could again come down to one again in 2014 general elections if it joins hands with the BJP, Ahmed said emphatically "most likely".

The Congress also accused the Mamata Banerjee government of "wilful inaction" to prevent attacks by Trinamool Congress workers against Congress leaders and its offices in West Bengal.

The remarks came a day after the West Bengal party hinted at an 'invisible' Congress hand behind the heckling of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and manhandling of Finance Minister Amit Mitra in Delhi on April 9.

There is a view in the Congress that it will gain if politics in West Bengal turns from bio-polar to tri-polor.

"As far as Congress is concerned, it will go alone in West Bengal starting from Panchayat to next Parliament polls. People are not yet ready to forgive the Left for their three decade misrule.

"People are also disillusioned with Mamata government in a very short span of time," Ahmed told reporters when asked whether Congress would like to ally with Left if Trinamool goes with the BJP.