Congress turned down proposal of alliance in Tripura: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Mar 3 (IBNS): In the wake of the BJP's landslide victory in Tripura, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said Congress had turned down her proposal for an alliance in the northeastern state, media reports said.

Banerjee said she had requested Congress President Rahul Gandhi to stitch an alliance with other hill parties.

"The Congress did not accept my proposal....It is a matter of shame" the WB CM was quoted by media.

Both Congress and Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) failed to win a single seat in Tripura.

Banerjee felt the results could have been different if the coalition had actually occurred.

The TMC supremo said she would have campaigned in the northeastern state if Rahul had accepted her proposal.

Days ago, Banerjee, while speaking in the state Assembly, took a swipe at CPI-M for not engaging into a grand alliance to keep the BJP at bay.

She had attacked the CPI-M for not participating in the all-party rally, which was called by RJD chief Lalu Prasad, in Bihar last year.

However, Banerjee feels the 2019 General Election will not be easy at all for the BJP to clinch a victory.

In Tripura, the BJP has decimated the Manik Sarkar government by securing 43 in a 60-member Assembly with a poll left still in one constituency.

The Left, which secured just 16 seats coming down from earlier 51, could barely counter the "Chalo Paltai (Lets make a change)" slogan raised by the saffron brigade ahead of the election.

Image: facebook.com/MamataBanerjeeOfficial