Mamata Banerjee Views Nitish Kumar's Exit from INDIA Bloc as 'Good Riddance

According to a source close to Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's departure from the INDIA bloc would be a "good riddance" for the Opposition coalition on Friday night.

Citing off-the-record conversations the Trinamul head had with close aides and journalists at Raj Bhavan on Friday evening, the source said, "Didi thinks that if Nitish Kumar leaves the INDIA bloc, which is a certainty now, it would be good riddance." "She believes that the alliance would have been harmed by the anti-incumbency campaign against the Nitish-led government."

On Republic Day, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose conducted a meet-and-greet event for the chief minister of Bengal at Raj Bhavan.

Left Front leader and senior CPM member Biman Bose was present, but neither the Congress nor the BJP sent any representatives.

The future of the INDIA alliance was the talk of the Raj Bhavan grounds, with rumors flying that Nitish might rejoin the BJP-led NDA. Mamata was questioned about it as soon as she entered.

"The RJD-Congress will not suffer a setback if Nitish withdraws from the Bihar Grand Alliance." They would not have won more than six or seven seats (out of forty in Bihar) if they had campaigned in coalition with the JDU, Mamata was cited as saying.

According to those close to the chief minister of Bengal, she had always been skeptical of Nitish's dedication to the Opposition group, which is why she had opposed his nomination as convener of the newly formed coalition.

The BJP had devised a scheme to co-opt Nitish into the NDA once he was chosen INDIA convener. According to a source close to Mamata, Didi was against his selection as convener since she knew about this scheme.

Didi's protests prevented Nitish from being appointed convener. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT), and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party all agreed with her views.

Paradoxically, the INDIA grouping was formed as a result of a meeting between Mamata and Nitish, which was hosted by the chief minister of Bihar in Patna at its first meeting.

Mamata avoided giving a clear response when asked on Friday night whether a Nitish U-turn would give the BJP a significant advantage. She allegedly said, "I will always fight the BJP, regardless of the circumstances."

Mamata also discussed the dynamics in Bengal between the Congress and Trinamul, two parts of INDIA. She seemed to confirm that she had not been informed of the Bengal itinerary for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Regarding the potential encounter between Mamata and Rahul Gandhi on the next Yatra leg in Bengal — either in Malda or Murshidabad, based on their respective schedules — the chief minister allegedly made a jest about offering tea to the Congress leader.

When questioned about potential seat sharing with the Congress in Bengal, Mamata, who had earlier this week said that Trinamul will go it alone, took a cold tone.

The head of Trinamul was cited as stating, "We had offered them two seats even before the first meetings of the alliance took place, but I was told they had rejected the proposal."

"The Congress bears the entire responsibility if the alliance fails to function in Bengal."

The state minister reportedly clarified that a struggle in Bengal between Trinamul and the Congress would not compromise the general balance within the INDIA alliance. She brought up the Delhi and Punjab equations between the AAP and the Congress.

According to a source, Mamata said, "They are fighting in Punjab—no problem—but sharing seats in Delhi."

The chief minister of Bengal said that like-minded opposition parties may always unite after the polls to stop the formation of a central government headed by the BJP.