For Mamata Banerjee, Congress a foe in state but friend at national level to 'fight' BJP

NEW DELHI: Revealing her party's strategy for upcomimg Lok Sabha poll, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that TMC will contest against the Congress in state election but the two parties will fight together at the national level in order to defeat the BJP.

Mamata made the statement hours after she expressed her displeasure with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over the comments made by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against her in the Saradha chit fund case.

For her part, Sonia Gandhi tried to placate Mamata and said, "We are accusing each other but we are friends," to which the TMC chief responded: "I will remember."

"Any fight with the Congress will remain in the state. At the national level, we will fight together, this I am saying from the heart... For the greater interest of the country, I am ready to sacrifice my life, my party. I am ready to sacrifice everything," Mamata said at the protest organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The AAP protest was attended by several opposition leaders.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also met RJD's Misa Bharti, Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Satish Mishra, SP's Jaya Bachchan and Dimple Yadav in her room in Parliament before leaving for the protest venue, PTI reported.

"Whichever party is strong should work there, fight there against the BJP, in Delhi, it's AAP, in UP, it is BSP, SP, in Kashmir, there is Farooq Abdullah...For higher good, some sacrifices are needed...If we want, we can fight in many more seats, but we never do this for the higher good," Mamata said.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also took an indirect dig at the Congress, saying that the party must not try to cut into TMC's votes in West Bengal.

Mamta said that since Congress is strong in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, it should focus on fighting against the BJP in these states. "But where we are strong, don't let the BJP win. I am used to fighting the BJP, CPM and the Congress because in Bengal, these three parties fight together. Even if we make an understanding, they don't transfer votes."

Stressing that she is not scared of any political party, Mamata expressed confidence that her party will win 42 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

(with PTI inputs)