Mamata Banerjee rules out alliance with Cong for 2026 Bengal polls, TMC to go it alone
Kolkata, Feb 10 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the Trinamool Congress would go it alone in the 2026 assembly elections in the state, dismissing any possibility of forging a coalition with the Congress or any other party, according to TMC sources.
Addressing her party's lawmakers at a meeting ahead of the Assembly's budget session, the TMC supremo also expressed confidence about winning the elections next year with a two-third majority.
“The Congress did not help the AAP in Delhi. In Haryana, the AAP did not help the Congress. So, the BJP has won in both states. Everyone should be together. But the Congress has nothing in Bengal. I will fight alone. We alone are enough," a source quoted Banerjee as telling her party's MLAs.
She asserted that the party would form the government in the state for the fourth time in a row after winning more than two-third of the total seats.
According to a party source, Banerjee said at the closed-door meeting that like-minded parties must have an understanding so that anti-BJP votes are not divided.
"Otherwise, it will be difficult for the India bloc to stop BJP at the national level," she said.
The TMC chief also asked party MLAs to be alert as the BJP might try to include names of foreigners in the voter list to win the election.
A source said Banerjee informed the meeting that she would reshuffle the party's units from state-level to the booth level, and various wings.
To select new office-bearers, she asked the MLAs to suggest three names for each post to senior leader Arup Biswas by February 25.
The TMC chief also described the arrest of former food minister Jyotipriyo Mallick in the ration scam as "unfair", claiming that there is no evidence against him.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
