'Better to vote for BJP than ...': TMC seizes on purported video of Congress's Adhir Chowdhury

File photo of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Former TMC MP Sushmita Dev has posted a purported video of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, in which he can be heard telling people that it is better to vote for BJP than TMC in West Bengal.

In an undated video posted by Dev, Chowdhury, who is the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, can be heard saying in Bengali: "Why vote for TMC ...better to vote for BJP".

"Meet the ⁦ @INCIndia ⁩ star campaigner for BJP in Bengal. ⁦ @adhirrcinc ⁩ Leader of the House of Lok Sabha," Dev, who was earlier president of All India Mahila Congress before joining TMC, said.

Meet the ⁦@INCIndia⁩ star campaigner for BJP in Bengal. ⁦@adhirrcinc⁩ Leader of the House of Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/HnFz8Ky71S

— Sushmita Dev সুস্মিতা দেব (@SushmitaDevAITC) May 1, 2024

While the veracity and context of the video could not be verified, the differences between TMC and Chowdhury are not new in Bengal.

Earlier this week, Chowdhry blamed TMC for "weakening" the INDIA bloc in West Bengal while campaigning for CPM state secretary Mohd Salim in Murshidabad. He also claimed that BJP is making gains in the state.

Notably, the TMC leadership and Chowdhury had been at odds during the seat-sharing talks between Congress and Mamata Banerjee's party for the Lok Sabha elections, which eventually failed.

The TMC placed the blame squarely on Chowdhury for the negotiations going sour.

Both TMC and Congress are part of the opposition bloc INDIA at the national level but are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal separately.