NEW DELHI: As the INDIA bloc members united on Tuesday to field its candidate against the Modi government’s candidate Om Birla, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said it was not consulted on the nomination of Congress’s Kodikunnil Suresh for the post. In only the third time contest, the INDIA bloc has fielded K Suresh against the BJP’s Om Birla for the Speaker election.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, however, said his party was not consulted on fielding Kodikunnil Suresh as the INDIA bloc’s joint nominee adding the party chief Mamata Banerjee will take a decision on backing Suresh.
“No one contacted us. There have been no talks, unfortunately this has been a unilateral decision,” Banerjee said.
According to news agency PTI sources, the TMC has not signed the nomination papers of Suresh and may also skip the opposition meeting tonight. They INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet at 8pm at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence to discuss its strategy.
Even though Mamata Banerjee came out in support of INDIA bloc just before Lok Sabha election results, her nephew’s fresh statement once again raises question about the ties between the TMC and the Congress. Earlier, failing to come up with a seat-sharing plan, Mamata’s party had decided to go solo in West Bengal in recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.
During the campaign, Mamata had also said that her party will extend “outside support” to the INDIA bloc to form government at the Centre if it wins the Lok Sabha elections. In a U-turn, however, later she had asserted that she was very much part of the alliance.
The election for the Speaker’s post of Lok Sabha is scheduled to be held on Wednesday morning at 11 am and the NDA has the numbers to win the election.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, however, said his party was not consulted on fielding Kodikunnil Suresh as the INDIA bloc’s joint nominee adding the party chief Mamata Banerjee will take a decision on backing Suresh.
“No one contacted us. There have been no talks, unfortunately this has been a unilateral decision,” Banerjee said.
According to news agency PTI sources, the TMC has not signed the nomination papers of Suresh and may also skip the opposition meeting tonight. They INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet at 8pm at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence to discuss its strategy.
Even though Mamata Banerjee came out in support of INDIA bloc just before Lok Sabha election results, her nephew’s fresh statement once again raises question about the ties between the TMC and the Congress. Earlier, failing to come up with a seat-sharing plan, Mamata’s party had decided to go solo in West Bengal in recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.
During the campaign, Mamata had also said that her party will extend “outside support” to the INDIA bloc to form government at the Centre if it wins the Lok Sabha elections. In a U-turn, however, later she had asserted that she was very much part of the alliance.
The election for the Speaker’s post of Lok Sabha is scheduled to be held on Wednesday morning at 11 am and the NDA has the numbers to win the election.