Congress Dismisses Speculations of Merger with TMC as Baseless Rumors

Congress Responds to Merger Speculations

On Thursday, the Congress party refuted rumors regarding a potential merger with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), labeling such reports as unfounded speculation. During a press conference, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal stated that a recent meeting with former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee focused solely on national issues, with no discussions about merging the two parties.

Addressing the rumors about a possible merger, Venugopal emphasized that these claims are entirely baseless. He noted that while Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee met with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the discussions were routine, as TMC is part of the INDIA alliance. Speculation about a merger intensified after Mamata and Abhishek attended a meeting of the INDIA bloc in New Delhi on Monday.

Typically, the former Chief Minister has participated in INDIA bloc meetings only on select occasions, often delegating senior party leaders to represent TMC. She did not attend the inaugural event of the opposition alliance in Patna in June 2023, nor did she participate in subsequent coordination and parliamentary strategy meetings in the national capital. Following the INDIA alliance meeting, Mamata and Abhishek held separate discussions with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, further fueling speculation.

This high-profile meeting has sparked new rumors that TMC might rejoin forces with Congress, a party Mamata Banerjee separated from nearly three decades ago to establish her own political entity.