Did Mamata's "No Ties" Bombshell Prompts Congress' Yatra Route Change?
NDTV
During its time in Bengal, the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will be joined by Left parties, including the CPI (M), which are allies of the Congress and are part of the INDIA bloc, but the Trinamool will abstain.
The Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' rolled into Bengal this morning but its stay in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's state will be brief, with the procession having been re-routed to pass quickly through the northern districts before it enters neighbouring Bihar. The yatra is expected to re-enter Bengal - next week - to visit the traditional Congress strongholds of Malda and Murshidabad.
The last-minute change in plans is being seen as the Congress and Rahul Gandhi reacting to the bombshell dropped by Ms Banerjee on Thursday. She ruled out a seat-sharing deal for the April/May general election, and said also that she is reviewing her party's membership of the INDIA group.
The Bengal leader's comments have ramped up pressure on the Congress - chosen to head the opposition bloc - as it scrambles to convince allies, including the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab and Delhi, and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, to reach seat-sharing deals for the Lok Sabha election.
