With federal elections in 2024 coming, the divide among the hurriedly constructed opposition alliance known as the I.N.D.I.A the group is deepening.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Indian National Congress (Congress) have recently engaged in a verbal war, underlining the alliance's frailty.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appearance at the G20 gala dinner given by President Droupadi Murmu was the newest source of contention.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the head of the West Bengal Congress, wasted no time in criticising Mamata Banerjee's choice to attend the dinner, especially when numerous opposition Chief Ministers had opted out.
Chowdhury questioned Banerjee's attendance, claiming that it may undercut her opposition to the Modi regime.
"Didi (Mamata Banerjee) arrived in Delhi a day earlier after many non-BJP Chief Ministers declined to attend the dinner." She attended the event with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sharing the same room," Ranjan noted, hinting that this was a risky move.
"The sky would not have fallen if she had chosen to skip it," Chowdhury continued mockingly. The Mahabharata would not have been contaminated in any way. The Quran would not have been tainted."
He was intrigued by Banerjee's decision to travel to Delhi simply for a dinner gathering with these leaders.
The TMC quickly defended their party supremo in reaction to the Congress leader's criticism of Mamata Banerjee, claiming that she had a major role in shaping the I.N.D.I.A bloc and hence should not be lectured on administrative conventions.
Santanu Sen, a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, responded to Chowdhury's allegations by emphasising Banerjee's continuous devotion to the I.N.D.I.A bloc and her unmistakable position as one of its architects.
This current altercation is not a unique occurrence. Earlier, it was reported that Mamata Banerjee had communicated her displeasure with the I.N.D.I.A bloc during a meeting in Mumbai.
Her criticisms included worries about the coalition only having one convenor. When Nitish Kumar's name was presented as the coalition convenor, Banerjee reportedly expressed concern that if the National Democratic coalition (NDA) failed to obtain enough seats to form a government at the Centre, Kumar would have a better claim to the Prime Ministerial post.
Banerjee also criticised the I.N.D.I.A bloc's decision to create a unified emblem in order to mobilise supporters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Those who opposed the decision, including Banerjee, said that parties should contest elections using their existing logos since a new emblem could confuse voters.
