Exclusive | Jairam Ramesh Has Not Fought Elections, What He Says Isn't Important: TMC's Saugata Roy

The Lok Sabha polls are about a year away, but observers say the opposition still appears fragmented. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been seen attacking each other on several occasions.

On Sunday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the TMC toes the line of the BJP in opposition meetings. In an exclusive interview with News18, senior Trinamool MP Saugata Roy on Monday said he does not give importance to Ramesh as he has never contested an election and he is just there because he is close to Rahul Gandhi. Edited excerpts:

Jairam Ramesh says that you are toeing the BJP line in opposition meetings. What do you have to say about that?

I don’t give importance to Jairam Ramesh because he himself has never contested an election. He is never in the field. He is there only because he has close proximity to Rahul Gandhi. Whatever he says is immaterial to us. We are the party that combats the BJP on the ground, not in words and tweets.

Many opposition parties want a joint parliamentary committee probe in the Adani row, but TMC seeks a Supreme Court inquiry…

We have seen previously that nothing happens through the JPC. The chairman is from the ruling party. It does not actually help. We believe in the judiciary, that’s why we have opted for that. The judiciary can unearth actual things.

Don’t you think the opposition is disintegrated?

“Disintegrated” is a harsh term. I don’t agree with you. We can say that the opposition is not together. People will decide who is doing what. It’s the people who will come together and parties will follow. We go to opposition meetings, but it’s not necessary to join all meetings called by the Congress. We oppose in our own way. They (the Congress) are opposing CPM in Kerala and they are friends in Tripura.

What’s your message to the Congress?

They should decide what they want to do. They don’t have any clear national political ideology. In some places, they are friends with the Left, in other places they are fighting the Left.

What’s going to happen in 2024 if the situation remains like this?

2024 is still far. A lot of things will happen within this time. A lot of state elections are there. I believe we will do well in the Meghalaya election. In Tripura, the momentum was not as it was expected, but we have given a fight.

Read all the Latest Politics News here