TMC MP Derek O'Brien termed the electoral contest between Congress and AAP in Punjab a natural outcome of regional politics.
He emphasized that state-level competition does not undermine the INDIA bloc's broader national alliance against the BJP.
The opposition parties remain committed to a unified front in national elections despite competing against each other in specific states.
TMC's Derek O'Brien Says Congress, AAP Fighting It Out In Punjab 'Natural', Asserts Opposition Unity Against BJP
TMC’s Derek O’Brien frames the Congress-AAP contest in Punjab as a natural political dynamic while asserting strong opposition unity against the BJP for the upcoming elections
Summary
Trinamool Congress national joint secretary Derek O'Brien on Saturday sought to play down the differences between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, saying their rivalry in the state was natural but had no bearing on the broader opposition's fight against the BJP.
In a post on X, the TMC Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha said that the Congress and the AAP were fighting it out "fair and square" in Punjab and would naturally attack each other, but asserted that the BJP had no reason to celebrate the differences.
"In Punjab, it's Congress versus AAP, fighting it out fair and square. So it is natural the two will come hard at each other. In all this, the BJP have nothing to fake smile about. All Opposition parties fighting the BJP know our roles. All good," he said.
The remarks come amid an intensifying war of words between the Congress and AAP ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had launched the Congress's campaign in the state at an 'Insaaf Rally' in Sangrur on November 4, accusing the AAP government of failing to tackle the drug menace and alleging that Punjab was being run from Delhi under the influence of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of resorting to personal attacks against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
While the TMC is part of the INDIA bloc, the Aam Aadmi Party has distanced itself from the opposition alliance.
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