'Will support Congress where it is strong': Mamata Banerjee on TMC's 2024 strategy

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday (May 15) said her party will support the Congress where it is strong in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This is the first time the TMC chief cleared the air on TMC's stand on a possible strategy for Opposition unity in the electoral battle ahead.

Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat, CM Banerjee said, "Wherever the Congress is strong, let them fight. We will give them support, there is nothing wrong (in that). But they have to support other political parties also."

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"However, to get support, Congress also has to back other parties," she said. The TMC supremo also made it clear that she expected the seat-sharing formula to give priority to regional players in areas where they were strong. "Strong regional parties must be given priority," she said.

The development comes days after the Congress secured a massive victory on its own in Karnataka after 10 years, winning 135 seats and defeating the BJP in the only state it was in power in southern India.

While TMC and Congress are at loggerheads at the state-level in Bengal, Mamata is known to have good relations with Sonia Gandhi. 

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Banerjee had earlier saluted the people of Karnataka after the BJP lost power there while avoiding mention of the grand old party with which TMC has had run-ins in the past.

Interestingly, in March, Mamata held a meeting with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and both leaders agreed to maintain distance from Congress and BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.