Akhilesh Yadav meets Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata; both agree on new front without Congress

The meeting highlighted the parties' agenda to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s attempt to portray Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as a key leader of a grouping of opposition parties.

The same was confirmed by Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who also made it clear at a press conference that TMC would fight on its own in 2024 and will not ally with Congress which is in opposition in Bengal.

"Rahul Gandhi made some comments abroad and the BJP has decided to not let parliament function till he apologises. This means they don't want parliament to function by using Congress. The BJP wants Rahul Gandhi to be the face (of the opposition) so that it helps the BJP. There is no need to decide on a prime ministerial face (for 2024 election)," Bandyopadhyay said.

He said it's a fallacy to think that Congress is the "big boss" of the opposition.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee is also scheduled to meet Odisha's Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik next week.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet Naveen Patnaik on March 23. We will discuss this (plan to maintain equidistance from BJP and Congress) with other opposition parties. We are not saying it is a third front, but regional parties have the strength to take on the BJP," Bandyopadhyay said.

Akhilesh Yadav too confirmed they want to maintain equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP.

"In Bengal, we are with Mamata Didi. Right now, our stand is we want to maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress," Yadav told reporters in Kolkata.

"Those who avail the 'BJP vaccine' are not bothered by CBI, ED or I-T," he said, referring to former opposition party leaders against whom cases by central investigation agencies were dropped after they joined the BJP.

Yadav's comment also alluded to several opposition party leaders being allegedly hounded by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the most recent being Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia and Rashtriya Janata Dal's Lalu Yadav and his family.