Congress not doing good by behaving like 'Big Boss', says Trinamool

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Friday said the Congress is behaving like the 'big boss' and not giving regional parties, including Trinamool Congress, their due honour. The ruling part of Bengal has decided to maintain equidistance from both Congress and BJP and will also reach out to other like-minded regional parties.

"Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee will connect with various like-minded regional parties nationally, who are capable of fighting BJP in their own state," Sudip Bandopadhyay, Leader of Trinamool in Lok Sabha, said in Kolkata on Friday after a party meeting at the CM's residence in Kalighat.

"Banerjee met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today. She will meet Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on March 23 and also travel to New Delhi in coming days," Bandopadhyay said.


Bandopadhyay said Congress' double standards are not acceptable. "Congress is with BJP and CPM in West Bengal and wants Trinamool to support it nationally. That is not possible."

"The Trinamool Congress leadership also said that BJP wants Rahul Gandhi as face of Opposition to make it easy for itself. "Mamata Banerjee had said not to decide on a PM face and to take a call on it on the basis of the results. Congress can fight polls where it is strong like in Karnataka," Bandopadhyay said.

SP to maintain Equidistance from both BJP and Congress: Yadav

Yadav on Friday said that his party would maintain equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP. The SP would stand firmly with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to defeat the BJP, he said.

"In Bengal, we are with Mamata didi. Right now, our stand is to maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. Does Congress have any stake in Uttar Pradesh? We will continue our fight against the BJP," he said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of his party's workers' meet.