Kolkata: A statement by Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar that Congress should have introspected more before quitting the Mamata Banerjee-led govt in 2012 prompted the party senior to clarify on Friday that his statement was "taken out of context" and what he meant was "that the party should have exposed the non-performance of the govt before pulling out".
CM Mamata Banerjee had earlier this month indicated that Trinamool would go solo in the 2026 state polls, ruling out any coalition talks.
"There was need for introspection and strategising before quitting the alliance after 2011. We had realised that the state was not delivering, and we were accountable to people. We should have exposed the govt before pulling out," Sarkar told TOI, clarifying his "more-introspection-needed" comment.
"Congress workers worked hard before the 2011 state assembly polls. Mamata Banerjee couldn't have become the CM if Congress had not supported her. There should have been more introspection as people voted because they trusted us," Sarkar said.
After TMC assumed office, six Congress candidates, including Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury, Manas Bhunia and Manoj Chakraborty, were given portfolios in the cabinet. However, Congress pulled out of the alliance in Sept 2012, alleging that TMC was trying to break it. Congress's then working president in the state, Pradip Bhattacharya, went to Governor MK Narayanan to withdraw support.
Accusing TMC and BJP of creating a binary in the state post-2020, Sarkar said both parties had now engaged in a mutual strategy to divide the electorate by focusing solely on religious identities, specifically Hindus and Muslims.
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