Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at Congress state chief Adhir Chowdhury and said the five-time MP was a “BJP agent” who was helping the party’s cause in West Bengal.

The Diamond Harbour MP made the statement while addressing a rally after a roadshow in Baharampur, the parliamentary constituency of Chowdhury. The ruling party has fielded former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan from the seat.

In an apparent reference to Chowdhury, Abhishek said, “In Baharampur, our fight is against the BJP and also their dummy candidate who is also a BJP’s agent. For the past five years, the people of Bengal have suffered as the BJP-led Centre has stopped funds (to the state) but the Congress MP from here didn’t utter a word or protest.”

“Chowdhury and CPI(M) leaders here didn’t write a single letter to the Centre against its step-motherly attitude towards the state. Instead, they were busy attacking Mamata Banerjee and strengthening BJP’s hands. On various occasions, when Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were holding meetings with Didi to defeat the BJP, Chowdhury was busy addressing a presser in Bengal and slamming the TMC and Didi,” he added.

The Congress and the CPI(M) have formed an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal.

Talking about the failed seat-sharing talks between the TMC, Congress and the CPI(M) – all INDIA bloc allies – in Bengal, the TMC second-in-command said,

“We wanted seat-sharing to take place as soon as possible. I requested the central leadership (of Congress) time and again and had sent all proof to one of their senior leaders to show how Chowdhury is indirectly helping the BJP’s cause in Bengal. A (Congress) leader told me: I have also warned him time and again that don’t fall into BJP’s line, instead we should work together. But Adhir didn’t listen to me….there must be some weakness on Adhir’s part.”