Mahua Moitra hits back at Rahul Gandhi over ‘TMC’s idea in Meghalaya' barb

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has hit back at her Congress counterpart Rahul Gandhi over his allegation that the TMC was in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Meghalaya and claimed that Mamata Banerjee-led party was the only national alternative to the saffron party.

Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the TMC alleging it was fighting elections in Meghalaya to ensure the BJP comes to power in the state.

The remarks by Gandhi at his first election rally in Shillong came against the backdrop of the latest comments by Congress president Malikarjun Kharge that his party was in talks with other opposition parties and would lead an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to come to power at the Centre.

Gandhi raised the incidents of “violence and scams” in West Bengal where the TMC is in power. He also took on the BJP alleging it was like a “class bully” that respects no one as it thinks that it knows everything.

"You know the history of the TMC -- the violence and scams that take place in West Bengal. You are aware of their tradition. They spent a huge amount of money in Goa (polls) and the idea was to help the BJP. That is exactly the idea in Meghalaya. The TMC's idea in Meghalaya is to ensure that the BJP is strengthened and come to power," he claimed.

Reacting to Gandhi's allegations, Moitra, at a public meeting on Thursday in support of TMC candidate from North Shillong Elgiva Gwyneth Rynjah, said, “Had the Congress been able to defeat the BJP, there would be no need for us (to contest the assembly polls). However, since the Congress failed to win the state, we had to step forward to provide an alternative to the people. The TMC is the only alternative (against the BJP).”

“Are we supposed to sit at home and watch the BJP win another general election while the Congress continues to lose state after state?” news agency ANI quoted Moitra as saying.

Exhorting women voters to get behind the party's North Shillong candidate, Moitra said, "We have the power (to make a change). Let all the male votes be divided. If all the women vote for Elgiva, we will win (North Shillong)."

Earlier, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien slammed Gandhi.

"THE STORY OF TWO RALLIES IN MEGHALAYA TODAY: Congress addressed by Rahul Gandhi. TMC addressed by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Yes. Now you know why someone got so upset with us," O'Brien said on Twitter sharing photos from the rallies.

Assembly elections in Meghalaya are due to be held on February 27.