Kolkata, Dec 21 (IANS): Majority of the state Congress leadership in West Bengal is against any kind of alliance with the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This is the message that has gone out from the state leadership to the All-India Congress Committee (AICC).

Sources from the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) said the majority in the state Congress were in favour of continuing the alliance with the CPI(M)- led Left Front.

This was for two simple reasons: The first was reliability of understanding as regards to an uncompromising approach against the BJP and the second was a better negotiating position as regards to seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls.

State Congress insiders said that a team from the West Bengal Congress reached Delhi on Wednesday. “Although the state leadership has left the final decision on the alliance to the AICC, majority members of the delegation have expressed their views against any alliance or understanding with the Trinamool Congress,” said a senior state Congress leader who was a part of the delegation.

It is learnt that when senior party leader Rahul Gandhi directly asked who was in favour of an alliance with the Trinamool Congress, barring one member of the delegation, all others voiced their opinion against it.

“The only voice that was in favour of an alliance with the Trinamool Congress was that of the Chairman of Congress Seva Dal in West Bengal, Rahul Pandey. Although we have said that the final decision will rest with the party high command, Rahul Gandhi assured us that no decision will be taken that will hurt the sentiments of Congress leaders and workers in West Bengal,” the state Congress leader said. According to them, as of now Trinamool Congress has given an indication that it will leave only two of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal to the Congress. And those two seats already have sitting Congress MPs.

On the other hand, in case of bargaining with the Left Front, the state Congress is confidant of claiming a stake in at least eight seats, out of which three will be in Murshidabad district, two in Malda district and one each in North Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Purulia districts.