’She is our didi, we respect her’: INDIA parties deny rift as Mamata Banerjee decides to fight LS polls alone in Bengal

After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerje's announcement that her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party will fight Lok Sabha polls alone in the state, other parties in the INDIA bloc have been trying to alleviate the situation and hoping for a reunification of the TMC with the bloc.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said the statement was given in some particular situation and said that the INDIA parties will solve the conflict.

"Please wait for some time. Maybe the statement was given in some particular situation. If there is a conflict then the alliance (INDIA) would solve it." said Manoj Jha.

INDIA bloc alliance is facing internal disagreements over seat-sharing in different states. Another INDIA bloc member, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is also locked in hectic negotiations with the Congress on seat sharing in Delhi and Punjab. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party believes that the TMC, the Congress and the alliance will resolve any differences.

"The TMC is a big party in West Bengal, the Congress and the Left have always been fighting against them. So seat-sharing with the TMC will be a little difficult. The issues between them will be resolved. Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi are committed to the success of the INDIA bloc. We are hopeful that all parties in the INDIA bloc will fight elections together," said AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Earlier on Wednesday, NCP working president Supriya Sule denied any internal rift in the alliance and said that all the member parties are in frequent conversation with each other.

"She is our didi and we love and respect her. The alliance (INDIA) is united and we will all fight together. There will be no loss to the alliance. The model in every state will be different. There is no infight in the alliance. We are in frequent conversation," Sule told ANI on Wednesday.

Amid speculations over the TMC's stance on Lok Sabha elections, Mamata Banerjee announced that the TMC would fight polls alone in Bengal.

"I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we alone will defeat the BJP. I gave many proposals but they rejected them from the beginning. From then, we have decided to fight the elections in Bengal alone" the TMC supremo said.

She also claimed that the grand old party didn't inform her about the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's schedule of passing through Bengal. Her remark is in contrast with the Congress' claim that it had invited all INDIA bloc parties to join the Yatra.